Love on the Water
by whirrledpeas
Summary: Brittany owns and operates a marina on the waters of the Chesapeake with her brother, Finn. When transients dock in for a weekend, they find their lives, their summer, and their hearts forever changed. A/U; rated M for drinking and sexy stuff later. Brittana et. al. Errors fixed.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I wrote this story over the span of about five years. Originally written for BAM and then Calzona, it is now being told to the tune of Brittana. This story is very special to me and captured a large part of my life working with my cousin and our friends at our marina during my summers in college. I hope you all enjoy it as I have loved writing it.**

**I will post a few chapters this week. Depending on how people like it, I will add more as I can. It is done and will be long, but I am open to coupling/shipper requests and suggestions. Thanks in advance – this is my first story on fanfiction. **

Brittany woke to the sound of her alarm going off, very loudly, at a quarter to six in the morning. "Ugh," she groaned. The blonde was _**not**_ a morning person by any means. No, let's not quite say that - she actually loved mornings. She loved the sunrise, the smell of breakfast cooking and coffee brewing, the stillness of the water at daybreak. But to physically get out of bed? Nope, Brittany Pierce was not a fan of that at all. She rolled back over and buried herself in the covers.

"Brit, wake up! It's six and you need to get going!" her mother yelled from the bathroom. Brittany was half awake now, really wanting just 'another five minutes' before getting out of bed. Unfortunately, she was one of those people who actually took those five minutes and ended up being two hours late for work every day. Her parents knew this.

Her dad walked into her room. "Brittany, get up - it's 6:15."

"No."

"Yes. You're going to be late, honey."

"Five more minutes," she mumbled from beneath the covers.

"No," her father said.

"Yes."

_Splash!_ About two cups of cold water found the blonde's face.

And with that, she was up. She looked at her clock. 6:21. She had to be at Noah's to pick him up in less than ten minutes. She grabbed a tank top, pair of shorts, her bra and was out the door. Minutes later, she was parked in front of the Puckerman house, honking her horn.

Puck came stumbling out of his house a few minutes later and got into the car. Brittany laughed. "Drunk from last night, or just wake up?" she asked.

"Both."

"I see. You know, you should really start getting some adequate rest, Puck. Considering what you do for a living, I wouldn't want you getting yourself injured or anything." she giggled.

"Whatever, it looks like you just woke up yourself, Brit."

"Me? Naw, I've been up since like 5:30."

"Sure ya have," Puck said with a sleepy smirk.

They worked at the Lima Point Marina, a small boating community that rested on the Chesapeake Bay. Brittany ran the marina's ship store and Puck worked in the yard along with Kurt and Brittany's brother, Finn. Finn owned the marina and had recruited Brittany to manage the ship store after their grandmother had passed away. She and the guys were all very close with each other and had been for years.

Brittany and Puck pulled into the corner market to get breakfast and coffee, just as they did every morning before work. "I don't know how you drink your coffee black," Puck muttered as he dumped four packets of sugar into his cup.

"Whatever, it's good like that. You ruin it putting in all that crap." Brittany replied as they made their way to the register.

"Mornin' guys, looking mighty chipper today. Rough night last night?" the regular morning clerk said.

"You could say that." Puck confessed, resting his head on the counter.

"No surprise to me, that's the usual down there at the marina for you guys, right?" Rory asked.

"For the boys, it is, but I went to bed suuper early last night," Brittany replied with a grin.  
>"Sure ya did," Both Puck and Rory said in unison as the blonde pouted playfully in defeat.<p>

It was no secret to everyone in Lima Point that Brittany and the guys partied at the marina every night. They were young and had fun. They took their boats out almost every day, had a few beers and a lot of laughs. It was life on the river. It was a simple life…and they loved it.

The sleepy duo made their way out of the corner market with food and drinks for everyone in hand. They pulled up to the marina just at seven a.m. Brittany got her clothes and her coffee and went to the office to open up. She changed out of her pajamas, brushed her teeth, clocked in and went to the lower shop where the guys usually started their day. Artie and Puck were waiting for her when she got there.

"So, rock, paper, scissors for who's gonna wake Finn up today?" Puck asked. Like Brittany, her brother was not a morning person either. But unlike her, he drank a little more than the average person and it was a bitch and a half getting him up every morning. To his advantage, however, Finn lived on-site in his trailer. They all agreed to the game, just as they did every morning. Kurt lost.

Forty-five minutes later, Finn and Kurt came into the shop.

"So," Brittany asked, looking at the wall calendar where they kept their work orders. "What's going on today?"

Finn gave a hung-over groan as he ran his fingers through his brown hair. "Well, Puck is painting the boot stripe on the _Pathfinder_, then we're gonna put in back in the water. And I think Artie is putting in a couple of toilets on _Hermione_."

"And you, Finn?" Brittany asked.

"I'm finishing a dock up down on the creek, then I guess I'll do some work Mr. Figgins' boat. Oh, and we have a transient that came in late last night - a 37' Grand Banks. I put them in the Dirty Dozen at the end of the dock. I'm not sure how long they are staying, but they seem very nice. And the girl is very cuuute, Brittany. I think you will like her." Finn said with a sleepy smirk.

Puck and Artie laughed as Finn teased his sister.

"Oh, will I?" the blonde asked, looking through some paperwork, brushing off her brother's comment. Finn nodded his head and walked out the door. The two others followed.  
>Her curiosity sparked, Brittany flipped the 'closed' sign to 'open' and started her day.<p>

* * *

><p>Brittany went about her day as usual. She checked in orders, unloaded freshly delivered shipments from Mesco and Paxton, and did her weekly inventory. When her morning was coming to an end, she decided to start making lunch for the guys, just as she did every day.<p>

In truth, Brittany wanted to be outside in the sun, sweating and working with the guys. She wanted to pain, wax, and do woodwork. She wanted to learn how to do engine work and how make gaskets. But she knew there was no one else that could run the office the way she could. No one else knew where to find galvanized carriage bolts or ¼'' elbows or any of the other things people always seemed to need around the marina. Even though she didn't really understand what they were used for, she knew where to find them. No one else knew everyone in that marina by name, rather than face. Yes, Brittany Pierce was the only girl with enough charm to run that office, especially with all of the idiots that came through it day in and day out.

"Guys! Lunch is ready!" Brittany shouted.

With the call, right at noon, Finn, Puck, and Artie came strolling into the shop from the boatyard. Like clockwork, Brittany and the guys always took lunch at noon. She cooked every day except for Fridays when the four of them would go into town and eat at Breadstix.

"What's for lunch today, sis?" Finn asked.

"Food," she replied with a bubbly smirk, watching on as the guys scarfed on hot dogs and corn she had cooked on the grill.

"Good?" she questioned.

"Mmm Hmm."

"Yep."

You're the best, Brit. What would we do without you?" Artie asked.

"Really, I don't know." Brittany stated matter-of-factly with a smile. Just then, the VMF radio rang aloud in the office.

"Ahhh," she moaned. "I never get a decent lunch break around here. Gotta go guys. Throw your trash away, please. I think, between the three of you, you could manage to do that for me, yeah?"

"Sure boss, we got it." Puck replied.

The blonde shook her head and went to the office for the phone, knowing she would have to clean after them later in the day, as usual. Brittany picked up the radio.

"Lima Point Marina to _Naugty Gal_, come in." Brittany said into the mic.

"Yeah this is _Naughty Gal_, coming in from the bay. Do you have space for us at your marina overnight?"

"Uhhh, let me see," The blonde checked the slip chart to see what was available. "How long is your boat and how much water does it pull?" she asked.

"52' and we draw about eight feet. No other marinas can accommodate us, they all referred us to you guys."

"Well, I think I can help you out. Pull up to our gas dock out front and I'll meet you there and help you tie in." Brittany said. She hung up the receiver, grabbed a hat, and made her way out the door and to the pier.

The docks of the Lima Point Marina were the biggest around. There was room to accommodate about 300 boats, 150 on each side. Since the water was shallower the further in you were, the size of the slips grew larger as you made your way down the pier.

"Hello, Mrs. Evans." Brittany greeted. "How are we doing today?"

"I'm well, just having a martini here while Sam here finishes up this work on the teak." A cute face peeked up from the deck below with an irritated look.

"Yeah, don't see any drink in my hand, now do you?" He smiled at Brittany before turning back to his wife. "Why don't you come down here and help me, Quinn?"

Brittany laughed at the couple's usual banter. Sam and Quinn Evans never seemed to get along, but they always, somehow, seemed so good for each other. Brittany continued her way down the dock to meet _Naughty Gal_. She was walking past the last, and best, part of the pier. They called in the Dirty Dozen. With six slips on each side, this was the part of the marina where the partying took place. Every weekend, the boaters in these twelve slips had cookouts, steamed crabs, and played poker. It was, by far, **the **place to be at the marina. The wealthiest people in Lima Point kept their boats there including Mr. and Mrs. Figgins, the Berry's and, of course, Sue Sylvester.

As Brittany was passing the last of the Dirty Dozen, she noticed a boat she had never seen before, _Esses For My Fingers. _She noted its odd name and then it dawned on her - this must have been the transient that had come in last night.

Just as Brittany was turning around, she noticed a brunette come up from the lower cabin on this new boat. Her hair was pulled up into a messy ponytail with a few stray strands hanging around her eyes. She was dancing around, quite silly and very uncoordinated, to music playing in the cabin below. Brittany let out a small giggle. On cue, as if she had heard her, the brunette turned around and pulled her sunglasses off. She wasn't embarrassed because she had been caught dancing, very badly, Brittany would later add. And she didn't wonder why the blonde had been staring at her. Instead, their eyes met and they both smiled softly. Neither of them said anything.

Realizing she was holding the gaze a little too long, Brittany snapped back into it, turned around, and made her way to meet _Naughty Gal_.

"Huh," she said to herself, with a huge smile on her face.


	2. Chapter 2

"Huh," The brunette said to herself before returning to the lower cabin on her boat. Watching the blonde, the girl who would soon be known to her as Brittany, walk away, she smiled and wondered who she was. What had just happened? Why the silent, yet comfortable, exchange?

"Why didn't I say hello?" she mumbled to herself. "Or at least apologize for the horrific dancing?"

Brittany threw _Naughty Gal_ a line to tie up. She grabbed a bumper for the bow and tied up the other end. Once safely docked, a young couple stepped off of the 52' Chris Craft to greet her.

"Hello," a small and very attractive woman said with a friendly smile. "I'm Tina and this here is my fiancé, Mike. We're the people that called you on the radio."

"Yes, and I'm Brittany." She smiled and extended her hand. "What brings you two to Lima Point?"

"We're dropping in for a few nights to visit with some friends staying here." Mike replied.

"Oh yeah? Well, chances are high that I know them. I run this place and this is a pretty small town." the blonde added.

It was true. Everyone knew everyone in Lima Point and everyone had a boat at the marina, so little went on without Brittany or one of the guys knowing about it. Between the four of them, they knew everyone.

"Santana and Steph?" Mike asked. "They have a Grand Banks here, _Esses for My Fingers_? They just came in last night I think. Do you know them?"

_So that was her name_, Brittany thought to herself. _Santana. She looked like a Santana. _Brittany dazed out of the conversation, thinking about the brunette she had semi-met just moments ago. But Santana _and_ Steph? Was Steph short for Steph_anie_ or short for Steph_an_? Girl or boy? Couple? Santana. Pretty name. Messy hair. Amazing eyes.

"So, do you know them?" Mike asked again.

Snapping out of her trance, Brittany answered with a soft smile, "Ahh, the boat with the funny name. Yes, I think we kinda just met." The blonde turned to begin walking. "Here, I'll take you guys down to their slip - it's just down the dock a bit." Brittany offered with a smile.

Mike and Tina liked Brittany right from the start for some reason. She was super friendly, but had this certain charm about her. This was nothing new - everyone liked her, especially the guys.

_"So what are you guys doing tonight? Brittany asked._

_"Guy's night out, gotta get away from our old ladies." Puck said._

_"Umm, none of you guys have old ladies. But, I'll see you guys tomorrow - on __**time**__, okay?"_

_"What are you talking about, sis? You're not coming with?" Finn asked._

_"Well, you said that it was guy's night out. In case you haven't noticed, I'm not a boy," the blonde laughed, pointing to her chest._

_"That's different, Pierce. It's __**you**__. You're super cool and everyone likes you. Besides, you help us get all the girls." Artie said with a laugh._

_"Yo, seriously boss, they're right, so you're coming with us." Puck said throwing his arm around Brittany._

And that was that. From then on, she went everywhere with the trio, even on 'Guy's Night Out'. They became inseparable.

Brittany led Mike and Tina down the dock to their friend's boat.

"Santana!" Tina called out.

The brunette came up from below. "Tina? Oh my God, what the hell are you doing here!" Santana ran up to her friend and threw her arms around her.

"Oh, Mike and I are on our way to the Cape and we thought we'd dock in for the night and visit with you guys."

A tall, dark haired guy came up from the cabin. Must be Steph - short for Steph_an_, Brittany concluded. He hopped off the boat and joined the others on the dock.

"Hey Mike, how ya been, man?" They shook hands. Brittany watched on as the foursome chatted. "Tina, is this a friend of yours?" The brunette asked, turning to Brittany with a smile.

"Nope, she helped us tie up when we came in. But I guess since we've met, we're friends now. So, yeah."

Santana looked at Brittany. "So, you work here?" she asked the blonde.

Brittany smiled as she tucked a stray piece of sweaty hair behind her ear. "That, I do. I'm Brittany, nice to meet you." She extended her hand.

"Very cool. I'm Santana." The brunette said, brushing her own messy hair out of her eyes, meeting her hand with Brittany's. _Another smile_, the blonde thought. Maybe it was the way this Santana girl was looking in her eyes, or the handshake that was lasting a little too long. Perhaps it was just this girl being in Brittany's presence, but the blonde quickly broke the silence.

"Great boat you guys have there," Brittany offered.

"Thanks." Steph replied, also offering his hand to shake Brittany's.

"Interesting name too. What does it mean?" she inquired.

"Ahhh," Santna stepped up. "That…is a secret." She flashed Brittany a smile.

"Yeah." Stephan said. "She named the boat. She hasn't even told me all of them yet, and I'm her boyfriend."

"Them?" Brittany was curious.

"Yeah, I've gotten four of them out of her, but not all five." Steph said, putting his arm around Santana. "Right, sweetie?"

"Yep, no one knows 'em all but me." the latina said matter-of-factly, putting on a cowboy hat that had its sides flipped up.

"Ahh, well, maybe I'll learn a couple of them one of these days." Brittany said meeting her eyes with Santana's once more. Another smile.

Little did Santana know, she would soon be filling Brittany in on the mysteries behind the name of her boat. She couldn't know that now, but it would happen.

Brittany looked down at her watch. "Shit, I have to get on back to the shop, I have an order coming in, oh, about fifteen minutes ago. It was nice meeting all of you. Tina, could you or Mike fill these out these transient papers with your info when you get a chance? You can drop them off at the store anytime."

"Sure thing."

Brittany made her way down the dock. She looked back at the group of people she had just met and saw them walking the opposite way, toward the end of the dock. Had she turned around three seconds later, she would have seen Santana doing the same thing.

A few hours later, Brittany was putting away the last of the shipment that had come in from Land n' Sea. She enjoyed working in the office because she met so many different kinds of people. Sometimes, however, she got bored, especially on the slow days. And today was a slow day.

The bell on the door dinged as a customer came in. Secretly, the blonde was hoping that it was one of her new friends, Santana in particular, coming by to pay a visit. Nope, couldn't be that lucky. Instead, she was greeted by none other than the infamous Ms. Sylvester. "Great." Brittany mumbled to herself.

Sue Sylvester was one of Lima Point's richest and cockiest residents. She thought that with her last name in tow she could get anyone to do anything for her. She had a lot of money and at least once, everyday, she let someone know it.

"Hello, Ms. Sylvester. How are we doing this afternoon?" Brittany asked, wiping the sweat from her face and placing her box cutter in her back pocket.

"Well, I would be delighted if my boat was in the water. Can you tell me why the hell it is still sitting out back on that, that, thing?"

"The railway?

"Yes, blondie, the railway."

"Well Ms. Sylve-" Brittany was cut off.

'Don't Ms. Sylester me, missy! I have been a paying customer at this marina far longer than you have been employed. When I come in here and say I need my boat to be ready by the 12th, that means, and I expect, to have it done by the 12th! We have money and we have the biggest boat here. Shouldn't that say _something_?"

"Ms. Sylester, please calm down."

"I will not calm down, blondie. I am going on a trip with the yacht club tomorrow and my friends and I are expecting to take that boat out there - not the dinghy on top of it!" Sue went on and on, until finally Brittany had had enough.

"Look!" Brittany said. "You tell me last week that you need us to pull your boat up on the railway. Good, we do that. Then you tell us that you need the gaskets on the engine replaced, that you need us to put in three bathrooms, which by the way, really sucked and you wanted the teak work on your _entire_ boat refinished. Then, _this_ week, you ask us to paint your boat. You have a 92-foot Elco! It's wooden boat. Not a fiberglass boat, but a wooden boat! Do you know how long it takes to sand, primer _and_ paint a 92-foot boat made out of wood!"

"Well, no."

"Well, it takes a long damn time, that's how long - about three days to be exact. Now, you told us on Monday that you wanted all of this done. We started first thing on Tuesday. Today is Thursday and if you go check out there you will see that the painting is done."

"Then why isn't it in the water!" Sue asked.

"Because it takes twelve hours, at least, for that paint to dry!" Brittany snipped.

"Oh."

"We'll have your boat in the water by the time you guys need to leave in the morning."

Feeling quite defeated, Sue Sylvester turned around and walked out the door. Frustrated, Brittany bent back down to finish her order.

"Everyone around here give you a hard time like that?" A voice said came from behind the blonde. It was Santana. And that smile.

"Uhh, not all of them." Brittany said with a laugh.

"Well, I'm one of the good guys. I was just dropping by to give you Mike and Tina's slip agreement, along with mine and Steph's."

"Well, thanks. How long are you guys staying?"

"I dunno, depends on how much we like it." Santana said with a wink.

_Did she just wink at me?_, Brittany thought. _Did she? Or does she have some kind of eye condition? Maybe she's just a winker. She winked at me! Wait, she's cute and she winked at me! Chill out Pierce, seriously. Okay, chilled. Return to conversation now._

"Uhh, and Mike and Tina?"

"Well, they were just going to stay overnight, but we've talked them into hanging out a few days with us."

"Very cool," Brittany said. "So I guess I'll be seeing a lot of you guys."

"I hope." Santana replied, walking toward the door.

"Wait." Brittany said, going to her desk drawer. "Here," the blonde handed Santana a walkie talkie. "They work anywhere at the marina. We…well, me and the guys...stay on channel 9. If you need anything or get bored, call me. I like hanging out with the guys, but it's be nice to have a girl to hang with every once in a while."

"The guys?" Santana asked.

"Yeah – Finn, Puck, and Artie. They work in the boatyard out there." Brittany pointed with a pencil. "They're pretty cool."

"Ahh, I think I met your brother last night. He helped us tie in - very cool guy."

"Yes he is. I love him to death." Brittany added.

"_Messin' About_ to Lima Point Marina, over." The VHF radio was going off behind the blonde.

"Hang on one sec, just need to get this." Brittany said.

"Yes, this is Lima Point to _Messin' About_, over."

Brittany turned to Santana. "I may have to help them tie in. Take the walkie talkie and call me later, okay?"

"Can I hear you when you talk on that thing there?" the latina said, pointing to the VHF.

"Yes, on channel 12."

"Okay, talk to you later," Santana said, turning around to leave. "Wait!, what's your handle?

"Huh?"

"Your handle. You know, your name on this thing?" the brunette asked.

"Umm, Lima Point Marina?" the blonde giggled.

"Oh, well I'll pick one out for you." Santana said with a smile. And with that, she was out the door.

* * *

><p>The next couple of days passed by quickly. Brittany had seen Santana and her new friends occasionally, but the week had been incredibly busy so she hadn't gotten much of a chance to talk with them. As the work day on Friday was coming to an end, Brittany and the guys were beginning to plan their weekend.<p>

"So, what are we doing tonight?" Brittany asked.

"Let's check the crab pots, maybe we caught enough to cook some." Artie suggested.

Puck sat down with a beer. "I already checked them, only two."

"Hey! Let's take the boat out. It's supposed to be nice tonight - maybe a good night for a swim?" Brittany suggested.

All of them jumped up. An evening spent on the water was always a favorite among the group. The foursome made their way to the dock. Brittany carried the towels, Artie the radio, while Finn and Puck tugged the cooler of beer behind them. "We'll take my boat," Finn said. "I just gassed up earlier in the week."

Finn's boat was a 42' power-sailboat he and his grandfather had built about ten years ago. It was the perfect party boat with lots of deck and a swim platform. It was called the _Pathfinder_. This boat had seen many sunsets and lots of parties. Brittany, Artie, and Finn got onboard while Puck stayed on the dock to untie the bowlines. Artie turned on the radio. "Dude, I love this tune." he said, bobbing his head to the music.

"Uh, ahem, Short Stuff to Pretty Eyes, over." Brittany's walkie talkie beeped. She grabbed it with a little confusion. The only people that used walkie talkies at the marina on this channel were on the boat. _Santana,_ she thought. She had given the brunette a walkie talkie earlier in the week. Was this Santana that was calling? It had to be. Pretty Eyes? _That's her handle for me?_ Brittany smiled.

"Uh, this is Pretty Eyes, I think? Over?" She said into the mic. The guys looked on with curiosity. Who was this girl Brittany was talking to?

"This is Santana. How are ya? Over."

"Good, the guys and I are getting ready to go out for a boat ride. What are you up to? Go to channel 16, we can talk normal on there. Over." The blonde waited a couple of seconds.

"I'm alone and bored as hell, haha. Mike, Tina and Steph took a ride to the bay with, uh, Quinn and Sam I think it is?"

"Oh, how come you didn't go?" Brittany asked.

"I was sleeping when they left, so I'm kinda just piddling around wasting time until they get back."

Brittany thought for a second, then went up top where her brother was. "Hey, we have room for one more, right?" she asked.

"Uh huh." he said as he checked over the engine room, not paying attention to what his sister was saying in the slightest.

"Santana, you still there?" Brittany said with a smile.

"I'm here." Santana giggled over the radio.

"Hey, do you wanna come with us? We're about to leave, but we can wait a few if you'd like to come out."

"Sure, I'd like that. What boat are you on?"

"_Pathfinder_, All the way at the other end of the dock."

"I know where that is, saw it the other day. Be there in two. Over and out."

"Hey guys, Santana is coming out with us. Please be nice, okay?" the blonde pleaded playfully.

"Ooooh, Brittany's got a girlie! Is she hot?" Puck asked.

"Please guys."

Santana ran down the dock looking for Finn's boat. She had seen it the other day, but she couldn't remember where. _It's not that freakin hard, Lopez_, she thought to herself. Then she heard music. Okay, that must be them. Santana walked up to the boat and she and Brittany met eyes. There was a connection between the two and the guys definitely saw it in their exchange. Finn, Puck, and Artie all looked at one another and smiled.

**"There was a time when life caught me by surprise.  
>But you sneak on by the shadow,<br>you gotta live in front of your eyes  
>And a typical way, we stray<br>checking back with the past  
>In a typical way, we stay, to see what's gonna last…" <strong>

"Hey!" Santana said.

"Hey yourself, come on in." Brittany said, giving the latina a hand onto the boat. "Find your way okay?"

Santana threw her bag on the floor and looked around. "I did, thanks."

"Awesome." the blonde grabbed two beers from the cooler and handed one to Santana.

**"I chose to live my life's affair  
>I could have died, but I chose to live here instead<strong>

**From this day on, I swear to you true  
>I say now way back when<br>you and all your friends  
>had some good times, we should do this again<br>We'd say, hey hey hey, we should do this again…"**

"Ready guys?" Finn asked.  
>They all nodded and they were off, with the music blaring.<p>

**Song credit to 'Here's to Ya' by O.A.R.**


	3. Chapter 3

An hour later, Brittany, Santana and the guys were anchored out in Mattox Creek, just off the river. This was their favorite place in Lima Point and would soon be one of the Latina's as well. Finn turned off the engine and stripped down to his swimming trunks.

"Alright, who's going swimming with me?" he asked.

"We're in!" Puck and Artie yelled as they jumped into the water from the top of the boat.

_Splash!_

Finn followed them by diving in. The guys looked up at the girls. "Ya'll coming in or what?" Puck asked.

Brittany looked at Santana. "Of course!" she yelled down at the trio in the water.

"Well I didn't bring a suit with me."

"Ahh, who cares. Swim in your clothes!" the blonde said.

"But I'll look like a dork, Brittany."

"Yes you will. But, I'll tell you what - I'll forget about my suit and wear my clothes in so you won't look like a dork by yourself. Deal?"

"Deal." Santana agreed.

The girls jumped in to join Artie, Finn and Puck and they all swam around for about an hour or so. Finn would climb to the top of the boat, jump in, get out and do it all over again. Puck and Artie hung out on the swim platform and drank a few beers.

Santana smiled. Brittany and the guys seemed so carefree about everything and she really liked this about them. Though she didn't know any of them very well, she felt comfortable and she was having a great time.

Brittany splashed Santana. "Come on, I want to show you something." The blonde started swimming to shore and Santana followed. A few minutes later they were sitting on a small dock that was attached to an even smaller housing structure, feet dangling in the water.

Santana looked around at her surroundings.  
>"This place is pretty cool."<br>"Yes it is. This is the boathouse. I come here a lot to think. Sometimes, I bring a six pack of beer here, light some candles, and play my guitar at sunset. Things like that are good for the soul, ya know?"

The brunette smiled as she listened to the girl next to her. She knew all too well what Brittany was saying. As the blonde continued talking, Santana began to realize that she and her new friend were a lot alike. Many nights would soon be spent at the boathouse for the two girls, but neither of them could know that now.

"So," Brittany said. "How did you meet Stephan?"

"Through Mike and Tina. Tina's friends threw her this huge party for her thirtieth birthday last summer. Steph flew in from Chicago to see them and...we met."

"Cool cool. So you guys haven't been dating that long?" Brittany inquired.

"No, he's a really sweet guy though, really good to me."

"Yes, he seems very nice."

"So, where's your other half, Miss Brittany?"

"Ha, there isn't one."

"What? Why the hell not? I mean, I haven't known you that long, but you seem so cool and so down to earth. Who wouldn't want to date you?"

"Well, this town is pretty small. I'm either related toor best friends with everyone here."

"Well, being in love with your best friend isn't such a bad thing, right? Actually, it's sort of a bonus, don't you think?"

Brittany thought about that. "Yes, I suppose. But my best friends here are all taken." the blonde said with a giggle, trying to dodge telling Santana she was a single because she was the only known lesbian in town.

"…Besides…" Brittany added. "I've never really met anyone right for me. You know, someone that appreciates the same things I do. I love the small things - the sky, the water…sunsets. I love living every day like it's my last. I guess I'm kinda unconventional for most people."

Santana smiled and looked at Brittany. "No, I know exactly what you mean."

The guys offshore watched the friendly banter between the two girls.  
>"What do ya think, Finn?"<p>

"I dunno Puck, but I like her." he said with a shrug.

"Alright, so what's the secret behind the name of your boat?" Brittany asked.

Santana smiled and nodded to herself. "Okay, so 'Esses for my fingers' is just this thing I've always had. Five reasons, one for each finger, why your life should be loved no matter how it's thrown at you."

Brittany listened closely as Santana talked.

"It's super dorky, I know. But anyway, all of these reasons start with an 's' and they are things that I want to or have experienced that move me, that remind me how amazing life can be. That kind of thing."

"That's so cool, and really sweet." Brittany said. "And Steph only knows four of them and not all five?"

"Yes. Two reasons. One, he doesn't get it - not just the fifth, but he doesn't get any of them. He doesn't see life the way I do. And two, because I haven't even experienced the fifth one yet."

Brittany listened on, but she was a little confused. "Then why don't you just make it four? You know, technically, you only have four fingers anyway."

"Yeah, but you can't do anything without your thumb. You can't write or play the guitar." Santana pointed at Brittany. "You can't throw a ball – not well anyway. Hell, you can't even tie your shoes. You're nothing without your fifth 's'." the brunette smiled, poking Brittany's shoulder.

The blonde smiled back. "I guess that's true," she said, looking off into the river.

"Hey guys, come on back!" Finn called from the boat. "The tide's going out, we're going to try to go under the bridge for the sunset!"

There was a part of Mattox Creek you could get to only if the tide went low enough to get your boat through. Not many people went back there so it was always very quiet.

After getting back to the boat and going under the bridge, Brittany and Santana went to the bow of the boat to watch the sunset. Trees and their reflections onto the water were on both sides of their view, with the sun setting right in the middle. The sky was that purplish-orange that always came with a sunset. The reflection of the sun's color off the water lit up Brittany's face with that glow you only see when the sun is on the horizon - just enough to light up every feature on her skin.

Santana secretly studied the blonde through her sunglasses, pretending to gaze at the other surroundings amongst them. She didn't know why Brittany intrigued her so much or why she had been staring at her that past five minutes. It was odd and unfamiliar, but it felt alright.

"Hey guys, check this out." Artie said. "I got some tunes for the ladies up front."

"Yeah yeah yeah, hook Brit up!" Puck whispered, taking a swig of his beer.

"I think Santana has a boyfriend, guys." Finn said softly.

"That don't mean a thing. I just met this girl Santana, and I can tell you right now, she's gonna have it bad for Pierce." Artie offered confidently, turning the radio up.

Up front, on the bow, Brittany and Santana heard the music.  
><strong><br>"Crazy, how it feels tonight.  
>Crazy, how you make it alright, love<br>Crush me with the things you do  
>And I'll do for you anything<br>Sitting, smoking, feeling high  
>And in this moment<br>oh it feels so right..."**

"Sights." Santana said, out of the blue.

"Huh?"

"Sights. That's the first S."

"What do you mean?" Brittany asked.

"Well this, for example. Look at this. The sunset, the beauty. The way the light reflects off of the water and into my eyes. Seeing things like this reminds me that life is good."

"Ahh, Santana, do you realize you are letting me in on your profound secrets behind the name of your boat?"

"Yes," the brunette, giggled. "But that's only one of them. There are still four to go."

**"Let's go drive 'til  
>morning comes<br>Watch the sunrise  
>and fill our souls up<br>Drink some wine 'til  
>we get drunk<strong>

**Yeah it's crazy I'm thinking  
>just knowing the world is round<br>I'm here, I'm dancing all around  
>Am I right side up or upside down<br>And is this real or am I dreaming..."**

Santana and Brittany watched the sun set into the sky, listening to the music the guys had been playing.

"So, Pretty Eyes," Santana said, catching the blonde off-guard. "I can call you that, right?"  
>Brittany blushed in the moonlight. <em>Thank God she cannot she my face right now, <em>she thought.

"Yes." She sat back in her chair and threw Santana a beer. "And Short Stuff suits you well. It's so funny of you to make fun of yourself with that handle." She giggled.

"Oh?"

The blonde played with the beer bottle that sat in her hands. "Ahh, it's cute though." She cocked her head a little to the side as she studied Santana. The latina smiled, forgetting what she was going to ask Brittany in the first place.

Everyone sat around the boat, had a few beers and bullshitted most of the night. It was an understatement to say that Santana was having a blast with her new friends.

Finn's boat was pretty sweet, the brunette thought as she looked around. It was a power sailboat, but the masts were off. The main cabin was raised up and there were white, square, Chinese box lanterns hanging around the outside. Inside, there was a small bar, a stereo, and lots of pillows. No chairs. No couches. Not even a bench - but lots of pillows.  
><strong><br>"I don't mind you coming here  
>wasting all my time<br>Cause when you're standing oh so near  
>I kinda lose my mind, yeah..."<br>**  
>Eveyone started singing. "Turn it up, turn it up!" Puck yelled to Finn from the deck.<br>**  
>"It's not the perfume that you wear<br>It's not the ribbons in your hair  
>I don't mind you coming here<br>and taking all my time..." **

The guys belted out while pointing to the girls.

"Well, if this song isn't true, I don't know what is." Brittany whispered to herself as she was paying attention to the words. As if Santana had been thinking the same thing, she stole a quick peek of Brittany, smiled, and stared into the water, joining the blonde off in 'space.'

**"It doesn't matter where you've been,  
>as long as it was deep, yeah..."<strong>

Brittany looked at Santana with a smile. "Do you want a beer?"

"I'd love one."

**"I guess you're just what I needed..."  
><strong>  
>The five friends laughed and enjoyed the music. Before they knew it, it was after midnight. "Heya guys, I think we should be getting back. It's getting kinda late." Finn said.<p>

"Yeah, I'm sure Steph's wondering where I am." Santana added. Puck and Brittany brought up the anchor as Finn started the boat.

A few minutes later, Finn came up from the stern. "Hey guys," he said curiously. "What time is it exactly?"

Santana looked at her watch. "Uh, it's about 12:30."

Finn looked down, laughed, and shook his head. "Well, I need a beer," he said, turning the engine off.

"What's going on, Finn?" Puck asked. "Did we break down?"

"No no. The boat's fine." Finn laughed. "Guess what us idiots did?"

The other four kinda just stood there in a tipsy confusion. Finn took a sip of his beer. "Alright, from the boot stripe, how many feet high do you think this boat is?"

"About six or seven," Artie offered. "Why?"

"Six or seven. Okay." Finn shined the spotlight onto the water, just off the bow. "So, a boat six feet high probably can't clear that bridge, huh?"

Everyone burst into laughter, realizing that they had stayed on the creek side of the bridge a bit too long. The tide had come in so high that there was now no way to get the boat back under the bridge.

"Yeah," Finn started. "So unless we can jump that bridge, which we can't, we're screwed.

There was no way out of that creek other than going under the bridge. Low tide was in about six hours. _More time with my new friends,_ Santana thought.

"Well," Puck said, turning off the spotlight, "I hope we brought enough beer cause it looks like we're staying till morning."

They decided to make a night of it. It was late, but no one was really tired enough to sleep. The guys stripped down to their boxers and t-shirts to get comfy.

"I think I have some extra clothes on here that you can sleep in." Brittany said to Santana. The blonde went down into the cabin in search for sleeping attire for the both of them. A few minutes later, she came back up, dressed in boxers and a black tank top with clothes for the Latina.

"Here. You can wear these." Brittany said. "I think they should fit."

"Thanks." the brunette replied with a smile. "Hey, are you always this prepared?" Santana asked.

"No. Well, yeah - for things like this anyway. We anchor out overnight a lot, so I always keep lots of spare clothes in case we moor out unexpectedly. This actually isn't the first time this has happened."

Santana changed and joined the group on the back of the deck. Puck and Artie had brought up some beach chairs from the cabin and set them up in a circle on the stern. Brittany lit some citronella candles and put them in the middle of the chairs and on the hand rails, while Finn played DJ with the radio.

The group sat around the candlelight and talked. Santana took in the night with everyone. She sat next to Brittany. Finn was on his sister's other side, then Puck, then Artie.

"So, Santana. Where are you from?" Finn asked.

"Originally from Miami," She looked at the blonde next to her before continuing. "but I've lived in Chicago for the past year."

"Cool cool. So how are you liking Lima Point so far?" Puck asked.

"I love it! I'm not sure Steph likes it as much as I do, he's a city boy."

"What? How could he not like all of this?" Artie said, pointing to nothing in particular with his hands.

It was true. In the short time Santana had been there, she was slowly, but surely, falling in love with Lima Point. The way people there just took in life and enjoyed it was beyond amazing to her. It was something she could get used to. She knew eventually she was going to have to leave, but she knew even more that she wanted to stay. She thought back to a night just days ago.

_"I thought this was only supposed to be a weekend thing, Santana." Steph said._

_"I know, I know. But the people here are so nice and friendly. I'm having fun here, aren't you?"_

_Steph thought about it for a minute. He __**was**__ having fun and the people here __**were**__ nice. _

_"We have the entire summer, Steph. What's another week?"_

_"You're right. You're happy here, so I'm happy too. What's another week or two?"_

Or three or four.

Checking the time, the guys finally decided to call it a night. "Where's everyone sleeping?" Puck asked.

Finn's boat had both forward and aft cabins. The forward cabin slept two, with a single bed on each side. The aft cabin was much larger, having a double bunk on the left and a head on the right.

"It's nice out tonight." Finn looked around. "I think I am going to sleep on the bow. You and Artie can take the small cabin and the girls can have the bigger one."

"Sounds like a plan." Brittany said. "That okay with you, Santana?"

"Sure! I can sleep anywhere." The brunette replied.

The girls said goodnight to the guys and stayed out on the bow of the boat. They talked.

And talked.

And talked.

The candles were still lit and there was a soft breeze in the air. While the girls had been getting to know each other, they had made themselves a little more comfortable, leaning back in their chairs with their feet propped up on each other's arm rests.

"Favorite movie?" Brittany asked.

"Cabaret. You?"

"What Dreams May Come. Favorite color?"

"Red. First Kiss?"

"Puck. We were five."

Santana laughed. "Okay, Losing a love or never loving at all?"

"Losing. Summer or Winter?"

"Summer. Spring or Fall?"

"Fall. Rather own a boat or a car?"

"Ha! Boat, definitely."

"Me too."

The mix CD that Finn had put in earlier started again for the third time.

**"We have fallen down again tonight,  
>In this world it's hard to get it right<br>Trying to make your heart fit like a glove,  
>What you need is love, love, love<strong>

**Everybody, everybody wants to love,  
>Everybody, everybody wants to be loved<br>Oh oh oh, oh oh oh..."**

"Favorite moment?" the blonde asked.

**"Happy is the heart that still feels pain,  
>Darkness drains and light will come again.<br>Swing open up your chest and let it in,  
>Just let the love, love, love begin"<strong>

"This one's definitely climbing."

Finn was the first to wake in the morning, even though he had drank the most the night before. Brittany's brother slept later than anyone in the group except, for some reason, when he was on a boat. He woke up Puck and Artie and the three of them made their way back down to the aft cabin to wake the girls.

When they got down there, Finn checked Santana's watch. 6:30. "Shit. We gotta get going. I told Will I'd look at his oil pan for him."

Finn's voice stirred Santana out of her sleep. "Hey guys, good morning." She said with a yawn.

"Mornin' to you too." Puck said. "Sleep well?"

"Once I could _**get**_ to sleep, yes. Brittany, well, she snores pretty loud," she said, looking over to the blonde with a smirk.

The girls had shared the bottom bunk last night.

_Brittany heard drops of rain hit the hatch above her bunk. She and Santana had moved down to the cabin after talking, deciding they both needed some rest._

_"Uh, isn't your brother sleeping outside?" Santana asked._

_"Yea-" __Before the blonde could finish her answer, a dripping Finns came into the cabin._

_"I guess tonight's not a good night for sleeping outside. I didn't want to wake the guys and I heard you two talking, so I figured I'd come camp out in here if that's okay." he said, grabbing a pillow and blanket from the closet. I'll just sleep on the floor."_

_"What, Finn? No way. You can take the top bed and Brittany and I can bunk together." Santana looked at the blonde. "That's okay with you, right?"_

_Brittany became a bit uneasy with excitement. "Umm...sure."_

"Okay." Finn said looking at the trio. "Who's waking up sleeping beauty this morning?" Finn knew his sister's morning antics and how she _**hated**_ getting up in the morning.

"Brittany, wake up." Santana said, nudging her side.

"Get up, Britts." Puck added.

And Artie, "Wakey, wakey, Brittany."

Santana and the guys did this for about ten minutes. The blonde would stir and mumble, but she wouldn't wake up. Finally, rolling his eyes, her brother grabbed a bullhorn and a glass of water.

"Santana, take this." Finn said, handing her the glass of water. "I'm gonna turn this siren on. When I do, throw that water on her face."

"What? No, I'm not doing that." the Latina replied.

"Throw the water on her face." Puck added.

"I can't do that, she'll get mad at me!"

"It's the only way she wakes up. Trust us."

Finn turned the siren on and Santana, very hesitantly, threw the water on the blonde. She ran and hid behind Finn, expecting things to fly at her. Brittany sat up, rubbing her eyes sleepily.

"Ya know, you guys really didn't need to use the horn. The water would have been sufficient on it's own." She mumbled, rubbing her tired, and now wet, eyes.

They left just as low tide hit. They were back at the marina about an hour later. As they pulled in, the VHF radio on the boat went off.

"This is _Naughty Gal_ calling Lima Point Marina, over." Brittany set down her coffee and picked up the handset.

"Lima Point Marina to _Naughty Gal_. Go to channel 12, please."

"Heya Brittany! This is Tina. You're in the office early this morning."

"Well, we're just pulling into the marina. We got stuck over in the creek last night, so we're just getting back in."

"Ha! Us too. Well, we need a tow. Sam caught his prop on a line last night, so we had to make a night of it out here as well."

"I think we can help you guys. We'll be there shortly." Finn said from his own walkie talkie. "You're in the channel, right?"

"Yep. Hey, Santana isn't with you guys by any chance is she? We have Steph with us."

"No worries, Tina, we got her. She's in good hands." Brittany said, looking at the brunette.

"Good. See you in a few. Over and out."

**Song credits: 'Crush' by Dave Matthews Band; 'Just What I Needed' by The Cars; 'Everybody' by Ingrid Michaelson**


	4. Chapter 4

The rest of the weekend was pretty relaxing for everyone. Brittany and Finn had a cookout for everyone on Saturday, but this was the norm. Every Saturday, after work, the siblings bought hamburgers and corn and grilled out on the very end of the dock. Since there were covered slips, the weekly cookout always took place, rain or shine.

The weeks that followed for them were spent getting to know their new friends a little better. Mike and Tina had decided to screw their trip to Cape Cod and spend their summer vacation in Lima Point. Brittany had introduced them, as well as Santana and Steph, to other slip holders at the marina. The newcomers met Blaine and Kurt, Rachel and Jesse. They were introduced to pretty much everyone who had a boat there. Will Schuester and his wife Emma. Oh man, did Santana love her.

Brittany was beginning to get to know Stephan a little better as well. He was quirky, funny and sometimes awkward. But he was also tall, brunette, handsome and very good to Santana. It did seem to the blonde, however, that the couple were more like friends to each other than _together_. When the two of them were with each other, she saw respect rather than passion. Instead of stolen glances, she saw half-hearted smiles. In any case, they seemed happy and they _were_ happy.

Steph and Sam had hit it off as well, spending lots of their days fishing and crabbing. Quinn and Tina quickly became good friends as did Mike and Puck. The group as a whole was pretty much inseparable. If you saw one of them, you usually saw all of them.

The two people, however, that seemed to becoming the closest were Brittany and Santana. They had quickly developed a very close friendship with one another. The Latina still spent time with Steph and Brittany still hung out with the guys, but a lot of their free time was spent with each other. Santana would bring Brittany coffee and keep her company when she was working in the office and the blonde would always cook extra on the grill and take a plate to Santana for lunch. When they were apart, they the walkie talkies to talk, using the code names they had issued for each other.

Santana kept asking herself what it was about Brittany that intrigued her so much. She didn't know, but sometimes Brittany would look into her eyes a certain way and Santana would become lost. She'd fade out, forgetting anything and everything around her. She loved everything about the blonde - her way of life, her eyes, her smile. She loved how she would go out of her way to make an unhappy person laugh. She loved her talents and how she played the guitar. She loved her passion for the water and for life. Santana was beginning to love Brittany's soul. Without a doubt, the blonde was the most amazing person the brunette had ever met.

But what caught Santana by surprise was something that happened a few nights ago, in a game of truth or dare at the end of the dock. It was then that she realized she was attracted to Brittany. Santana thought back to that night.

The daily cookout had settled into night. _**Everyone**_ had been out on the gas dock. This was the part of the dock that was uncovered, right after the Dirty Dozen. The main 300 slips of the Pine Valley Marina were in a straight line, with 150 on each side, all covered. At the very end, after the Dirty Dozen, there's a gas dock with a little marine store. Boaters that gassed up their boats could by food, cigarettes and such here. The gas dock is a very long dock as well, so the whole structure is T-shaped with other smaller extensions here and there. Anyway, this is where they were – Mike, Tina, Steph, Sam, Quinn, Puck, Artie, Finn, Brittany, and Santana. Even Will and his wife were there, among a few others like Rachel and Joe.

_"Truth or Dare?" Finn asked Will._

_"Ahhh, dare I guess." he replied, scrunching his face, knowing he'd made a mistake. Finn was going to have fun with this one._

_"Take off your clothes and jump off the dock."_

_Will thought about it. He had no choice but to go through with it. "This okay with you?" he asked, turning to Emma._

_"She laughed, replying, "Have fun, honey. Besides," she crossed her arms as her cheeks began to redden. "I want to see this too." __After a few moments of hesitation and much coaxing from the others, Will fulfilled his dare._

_After the roaring of laughter plateaued, the game commenced. A dripping Will, wrapped in a towel, turned to Sam. "Truth or dare, buddy?"_

_"After that one, I think I'll take truth."_

_"Okay, have you ever cheated on Quinn?"_

_Sam flashed him a 'you-son-of-a-bitch' look, remembering a brief affair with a transient named Mercedes._

_"No," he replied._

And of course drinking was involved that night, so things were quickly put out in the open for everyone to know. That was the game, though.

_Artie had made Steph give Will a lap dance and Puck's hidden fear of granddaddy long legs was revealed. Tina did at shirtless cha-cha with a broom, Santana made an embarrassed Mike do a 'Will' in the water, and Quinn made Emma shotgun three beers. Finn drank alongside her, of course._

_"Okay, Artie. Truth or Dare." Puck asked._

_"Truth."_

_"You have a crush on Britts, don't you?"_

_"No, what? Crush? Hell to the no, Pierce is like a sister to me!" He was beet red in the cheeks. "No, uh uh."_

_"That's okay, bro! You're not her type anyway!" Finn yelled as he peed off the end of the dock. "You don't have booobiieees!" he added. _

_That got Santana's attention. She shot up from her tipsy slump, looking at Brittany, who was walking towards Artie. "It's okay Artie, I still love you." the blonde said jokingly. _

_Was Brittany a lesbian? In the weeks she had known her friend, the blonde had never mentioned that she was. What did Finn mean? Brittany likes boobies? And so, girls have boobies, Santana thought. So, that would make her a lesbian. Or maybe it was just some inside marina joke? Huh. _

_Santana's mind was going a lot faster than she could comprehend. "Why am I thinking about this so much?" she asked herself. _

_And under the moonlight, the game went on as the brunette stole glances from Brittany. And then, out of the blue, in midst of the chaotic fun, the blonde looked Santana's way, flashing a soft smile as she tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. Brittany mouthed with her lips "Having fun?" _

_A smile quickly found Santana's dazed face as she nodded yes with a smile. At that moment, a moment that would stay in the brunette's mind forever, she realized she was attracted to Brittany._

The Latina smiled as she thought back to that night. _Am I attracted to her because I know she's gay and it's, like, taboo to me? Or is it just because she is so damn awesome? _she thought to herself. Santana shook her head with a shrug and started walking down the dock.

"Umm, Pretty Eyes to Short Stuff. Over." Her walkie talkie beeped. Santana grabbed the radio. It was Brittany.

"Short Stuff here, over." she said with a giggle.

"Good morning! Go to channel 16."

"Morning to you too!" Santana said, after twisting a small knob on the radio.

"Listen, I was thinking about taking my boat out tonight for a bit. Wanna join me?"

"That sounds awesome. Steph has a poker game with Sam, so he'll be tied up anyway."

"Oh, well I was going to see if he wanted to come too, but since he has plans, I guess we'll make it a girl's night out."

"Sounds like a plan." Santana said, twirling her hair in her fingers with a grin.

"Cool. I'll be down on my boat after I get off of work, around five or so. You can just meet me there."

"Okay, girlie, see you then."

"Short Stuff, over and out."

The day passed quickly for Brittany as she had orders to check in as well as a crapload of paperwork to finish from the week before. Lunch with the guys was in the norm, but the day on the water was busy as hell. People were pulling up for gas every ten minutes it seemed. The guys were working in the yard, so she took care of the customers in both the ship store and on the gas dock. She didn't mind, though - the tips were great. She probably made more in tips per week than she did on the books for every two.

On a trip back from the gas dock, the blonde ran into Quinn and Tina. "Hey guys." Brittany spoke up.

"Oh, hey Brit!" Quinn said. "Another gas customer?" she asked sympathetically, noticing the sweat-drenched blonde.

"Yep, busy day out there. Seems like everyone in Lima Point is out on the water."

"Nice day, I guess." Tina offered.

"Yes, it is. Listen, I am taking my boat out tonight for a bit. Santana's coming along. Would you guys like to join us?"

"We would, but I think Quinn and I are going to the poker game with Steph and Sam." Tina replied.

"Yeah! I have my lucky elephants and everything!" Quinn added.

"Alright, well good luck on the game, girls. I'll see you two later." Brittany said, making her way down the dock. When she returned to the office, she was greeted by Emma, who had been waiting to pay she and Will's monthly slip rent.

"Brittany!" Emma called as the blonde came through the door.

"Hey there Mrs. Schuester, nice to see you. What brings you by?"

"Paying slip rent to you guys. Busy out there?"

"You have no idea." Brittany replied. "I've been out there pretty much all day. Why aren't you guys out on the boat? The weather is so nice."

"Well, Will and I are going out this evening. I think we're going across the river to Cobb Island for dinner. You seem like you've had a long day, would you like to join us?"

"Well, I'm actually taking my boat for a run tonight as well. Puck and Artie just finished up a lot of engine work on it, so I'm taking it out to see if they know what they're doing." Brittany said, laughing. "But I would love to join you guys for dinner. Santana is coming with me. Would it be alright if she came along?"

"Of course!" Emma said smiling, handing Brittany a check. "Stay on channel 16. We'll call you on there when we're getting close."

"Sounds like a plan. See you tonight."

"Alright." Emma replied, putting on her sunglasses. She turned around and made her way out the door.

"Dinner on Cobb Island with Santana. Just us, and Will and Emma." Brittany said to herself with a smile as she filed the check under 'S.'

A few hours later, Brittany clocked out, grabbed a dock cart from the office and went to her car. She grabbed a few miscellaneous things - guitar, blankets, cooler, foul-weather gear, etc. She made a stop by the ice machine and picked up a block of ice and then went by the shop to say bye to the Finn and the others.

"Bye guys, keep your radios on in case I need you." Brittany yelled from the door.

"We will, but I'm sure you won't need it. You're a better captain than Me!" her brother called out.

"Yeah, besides, you'll have Santana with you." Puck teased.

Brittany rolled her eyes. "Whatever guys, it's just a boat ride. Anyway, I gotta get going. See you guys later tonight."

* * *

><p>Santana gave Steph a kiss on the cheek. "Good luck tonight. Win us some money!" the Latina said to her boyfriend, as he hopped in Sam's boat with Tina and Quinn.<p>

"I'll see you later" He said, smiling at his girlfriend. "Have fun."

"You too." Santana responded, untying their bowline and throwing it on board.

The brunette went back to her boat and grabbed a sweater and a few other things, including a bag she had packed earlier for the ride tonight. She checked the readings on her boat and then made her way down the dock. "Shit," she said to herself. "I don't know what Brittany's boat looks like."

The Lima Point Marina was pretty big. Aside from the gas dock and the main pier where the covered slips were, Santana didn't know her way around the rest of it. There was a D dock and an E dock that she had never been on. Since she didn't see Brittany on the main pier or on the gas dock, she figured her boat had to be on one of these. She walked around the marina for a good ten minutes, a little lost.

Then she saw her. She watched the blonde from behind a piling for a few minutes. Brittany was pulling some things out of her dock box and loading the boat up with a few random necessities - flares, radio, etc. The blonde was scanning over a river map and some tides charts when Santana finally walked up.

"Nice boat you have here." the Latina said, awing Brittany's sailboat. "We're sailing tonight?"

"Yep." the blonde replied, putting her sunglasses on her head and squinting through the sun. "Know how to sail?"

"A little."

"Good. The water's really calm and there's a nice wind out this evening, so we should be okay. This is my first time driving one of these things, so hopefully you can help me." Brittany said, smiling at Santana. The brunette's face became worried.

"I'm just kidding!" Brittany said. "I've been sailing this boat since I was a little girl, Santana. No worries, my friend, no worries."

Santana untied the lines and hopped on the boat as Brittany pushed them off into the bay. They let up the sails as they made their way into the channel just before 5:30. The ride to Cobb Island was about an hour and fourty-five minutes by boat, - well, this boat anyway. Had they taken Finn's boat, they would have been there in a half an hour. The sun was still pretty bright. Santana stood beside Brittany, scanning over the river charts, occasionally looking up at the blonde, studying her beauty. Brittany didn't wear makeup or fancy clothes. She had on a black tank top and a long pair of khaki shorts. _Very simple_, she thought, _but very…Brittany_. The blonde's hair was down and every now and then, a few pieces would hit Santana's face. She could smell her hair. _Apples,_ she thought with a smile.

The girls sailed for another hour, through the channel, and into a the southern part of Maryland.

"This is _Gail Winds_ calling _Night Moves_, over."

Brittany picked up the VHF. "_Night Moves_ to _Gail Winds_. Where are you guys?" Santana looked on, wondering who was on the other end.

"We're pulling around the southern side of the island. We were thinking of going to Pier 3 for dinner. Is that okay with you guys?"

Brittany looked at Santana. " Oh I forgot to ask you. Will and Emma invited us to meet them for dinner tonight. You up for some steamed crabs and cheap beer?"

Santana wasn't expecting this. "Oh my god, yes!" She replied. Brittany smiled and answered the radio.

"Yes, that is perfect. We're about fifteen minutes away. See you then."

"Alright, _Gail Winds_ out."

"_Night Moves_ out."

When the girls arrived at the island, they were greeting by Will and Emma on the end of the dock. Santana threw them a line while Brittany finished docking the boat. The blonde grabbed her flip flops, as did Santana and they both hopped out of the boat.

"Hey guys." Brittany said, hugging Will and then Emma.

"Hey Santana," they said, greeting the brunette.

"Hey, hey! We going skinny dipping again tonight?" she asked, looking at Will.

The foursome chuckled as they walked up the dock to the mainland.

"So," Will started. "Did you guys want to eat in the main restaurant, or at the tiki bar outside?"

Pier 3 was a small place, just as most of the restaurants on the island were. There was a more formal restaurant as you went more inland, but off the pier, right on the water, was a small screened-in porch. As walked ahead, the girls looked at each other, then to Emma and mouthed, "Tiki bar?" Emma nodded an affirmative yes.

The group went in and got a table. They were placed right by the screens on the water. They conversed over crabs and a few beers. The Schuesters got to know Santana a little better, asking where she was from, what she did for a living and such.

"So you're a doctor?" Emma asked.

"I am. On vacation for the summer. I have my own practice in Chicago."

"Where did you go to school?" Brittany inquired, dipping some back fin in a bowl of vinegar.

"Undergrad in Florida and then medical schoo and residency in Boston."

"That's pretty awesome." Will said. "There are lots of people in Lima Point that you could see to, I am sure. You know, just in case you ever decided to stay." Everyone laughed and talked on.

Brittany taught Santana the _correct_ way to pick crabs. Will ordered a plate of raw oysters, grossing the girls out when he swallowed them whole. Before long, the sun was beginning to set. There was a small band on the other side of the bar, playing cheesy Jimmy Buffet songs. Santana looked out onto the water and the sky, and then to Brittany and then back down to the crab she was trying to pick. She smiled.

Eating crabs and beer isn't what most people would call romantic. But this _**was**_ romantic to the Latina for some reason. The music, the sunset on the water, and Brittany…it was perfect for her. Wait. _Romantic? Brittany? In the same sentence?_ Santana's inner thoughts were interrupted by the others singing.

"Wasted away again in Margaritaville…" Will, Emma, and Brittany belted." Searching for my lost shaker of salt..."

"Some people claim that there's a woman to blame…" Looking at Brittany, Santana joined in towards the end singing about as well as she could dance. "But I know, it's my own damn fault..."

The group finished up dinner, paid, and made their way to their boats.

"Thanks so much for dinner, Will." Brittany said, enveloping him in a tight hug.

"Yes, I had an awesome time." Santana added.

"Oh, we did too. We have to do this again soon."

"Definitely." The girls said in unison before saying their goodbyes to the couple.

Brittany and Santana left Cobb Island and made their way up the river. "Where to now?" the brunette asked.

"Well, if you're up for it, I thought we'd go over to Mattox Creek again. I haven't been there since we were out with the guys last."

"Are we gonna get stuck under that bridge again?" Santana said, laughing.

"No, I checked the tide charts. We have until two in the morning to get out of there. Whenever you need to get going, just let me know."

"I have nowhere to be," the brunette replied with a smile, looking out in the water.

Brittany docked at the boathouse in Mattox creek. "Remember this place?" she asked the brunette.

"Yes, it's the boathouse - your favorite place in Lima Point." Santana replied matter-of-factly.

The blonde smiled. "Yes it is."

Brittany unloaded a few small things from the boat, as did Santana. "Hey, can you grab a blanket from the cabin?"

"Sure thing." As the brunette was getting the blanket, she noticed Brittany's guitar lying on the bed. She smiled as she grabbed that as well. She returned to join the blonde.

"I brought this too." she said, handing the guitar to Brittany. " I remember you saying that you like to play this when you come out here. So, could you maybe play something for me?" she asked as Brittany laid the blanket down on the dock for them to sit on.

"I suppose so," she said shyly, taking the guitar from Santana. "I haven't played in awhile, though." The boathouse didn't have any lights on the dock, so Brittany lit a few candles and placed them between her and the brunette. "Okay, what do you want to hear?" she asked.

"Anything." Santana said with a soft smile.

Brittany picked around a bit to warm her fingers up. Santana smiled again.

**"Just before our love got lost you said  
>I am as constant as a northern star and I said<br>constantly in the darkness, where's that at  
>If you want me I'll be in the bar..."<strong>

Brittany played and sang as Santana watched in awe.

**"I remember that time you told me  
>you said love is touching souls<br>Surely you touched mine 'cause  
>part of you pours out of me<br>in these lines from time to time**

**Oh, you're in my blood like holy wine  
>and you taste so bitter and you taste so sweet<br>Oh, I could drink a case of you darling  
>Still I'd be on my feet<br>I would still be on my feet…"**

Brittany finished and then looked at the girl beside her.

"Well?"she asked.

"Brittany, that was amazing. I guess I wasn't expecting, I dunno - you're good! You've been playing a while, huh?"

"About ten years. My dad taught me."

There was an awkward silence as they both looked at each other. Candlelight was the only thing that Santana had to see Brittany, but it was enough for her to know the blonde was looking at her in a way no one else ever had. Deciding to break the silence, she spoke.

"Sounds."

"The second S? Brittany replied after thinking about it.

"Like what you just did, that kind of stuff blows me away. And the sound of the birds in the morning, the sound of the water moving at night. I love laughter filling my ears and talking until the sun comes up. I'm a dork, huh?"

"Yes," the blonde replied. "But, there aren't enough dorks in the world." They both laughed.

"Santana?" Brittany said, looking out in the creek.

"Yeah?" the blonde replied, doing the same.

"I'm glad you came to Lima Point."

Santana looked at Brittany and smiled with her eyes.

"Me too."

"Hey do you know Blackbird?" Santana asked. "You know, by the Beatles?"

"I know what song you mean, silly. I _**love**_ that song. I was one of the first I learned." the blonde said as she started picking.

**"Black bird sitting in the dead of night..."** Brittany started singing, but was interrupted by Santana.

**"Take these broken dreams  
>and learn to fly<br>All your life  
>you were only waiting<br>for this moment to arise..."**

Brittany had a smile on her face and continued to play as the Latina sang.

**"Blackbird sitting in the dead of night  
>Take these sunken eyes and learn to see<br>all your life  
>you were only waiting<br>for this moment to be free…"**

"I didn't know you could sing, Santana. You sang awful at dinner tonight but well, you are - that was really good!"

The brunette smiled. "Thanks. I've always loved that song for some reason, so I have been singing it since I was a little girl. My dad was a huuuuge Beatles fan."

"Mine too! He thinks they are like the gods of music." Brittany replied. "Anyway, you have a really pretty voice."

"Hey! We should start a band!" Santana almost shouted.

"Well, Puck plays the drums." Brittany said, going along with her friend.

"Yeah! And I could sing - and you could too! And you can play the guitar and…"

"It's a good idea Santana, but we would need a bass player." The brunette was so excited and Brittany thought this was the cutest thing in the world.

"Yeah yeah yeah! Steph plays the bass. I mean, he's not as good as you, but he'll do for a, uh, dock band, right?"

"Sure." Brittany giggled.

"Okay then! We have a band!"

"And what will the name of our band be?" Brittany asked.

Santana thought for a minute. "Well geez, I haven't thought of that yet." She was all smiles. "I need some time for that one."

"Alright," the blonde said, chuckling, amused by Santana's excitement.

The girls made their way back to Lima Point just after midnight. When they got back to the marina, they tied up and unloaded the boat. Santana turned to Brittany. "Thanks for tonight. I had a really good time."

"Me too. Thanks for coming with me. Hey, let me just finish putting this stuff away and I'll walk you to your boat."

The girls walked slowly through the E and D docks talking, learning more about each other. Brittany told Santana about her mom wanting to change her legal name to Sunshine Summer and how her dad collects ukuleles. Santana shared her thoughts on marriage, plans for children and other random thoughts.

They made their way down the main covered dock that was lit with white Christmas lights that Brittany and Finn had strung last Christmas. All of the boat owners had liked them so much, she had decided to leave them up.

_"Leave em' up, Britts." Finn said.  
>"You think?"<br>"Yeah, they're kinda romantic, ya know?"_

Brittany was glad their walk was more of a stroll and even more glad that Santana's boat was the next to the last boat before the end of the dock. This gave them more time together. And as they walked, they played the 'or' game.

"Cornflakes or Rice Crispies? Santana asked.

"Cornflakes."

"Ooh, me too!"

"Bath or shower?"

"Bath, then shower. Chocolate or vanilla?"

"Chocolate. Crabs with vinegar, or with butter?"

"Vinegar!" Santana replied. "Summer or winter?"

"_**This **_summer." Brittany looked over at Santana with a soft smile. "Sunrise or sunset?"

"Sunset I guess. I've never seen a sunrise."

"Rea-?"

Their conversation was interrupted by a very ecstatic Steph walking towards them, with Quinn, Sam, Mike, Tina, Kurt and Blaine in tow. "Santana! I won three-hundred bucks!" Steph said, hugging his girlfriend.

"That's great, babe." the Latina replied, kissing him on the cheek.

"Lemme guess, Figgins got wasted again tonight?" Brittany inquired.

"Oh yeah, you could say that." Blaine answered.

Henry Figgins was notorious for throwing huge poker parties at his pier across the creek. He never came out ahead with any of his games, for he drank two-hundred dollar bottles of scotch like iced tea during the events. He'd bet a hundred dollars on a hand that would only win in a game of Old Maid.

"Well, I am going to head on to bed, guys." Brittany said. "It's getting late and I need to catch up on some paperwork tomorrow."

As Brittany said her hellos, goodbyes, and goodnights to everyone, Santana looked on. She remembered the first night out with the blonde on Finn's boat and how she looked under the moonlight. She thought of the truth or dare party at the end of the dock last week, when she realized Brittany was a lesbian - or she was assuming so anyway. She remembered how she felt at dinner tonight, being there with the blonde and how even though she had a boyfriend, Brittany was the only one she had wanted to share crabs and cheap beer with.

Santana looked at everyone, then at the dock below her feet, finally meeting eyes with the blonde in front of her. For some reason, she wanted to be close to her. Santana thought to herself. _It wouldn't be weird if I gave her a hug, would it? I mean, we're just friends and friends give each other hugs, right? So, if I hug her, that would be okay, right? Fuck it, Lopez._ And she did, embracing Brittany in an unexpected hug, whispering "Night." in the blonde's ear.

"Night to you too." Brittany replied with a smile before the hug ended, wondering where it had come from. She began to make her way back down the dock. _I'll sleep on the boat tonight, kinda tired., s_he thought to herself as she heard a familiar song coming from a boat somewhere in the marina.

**"I know she said it's alright  
>but you can make it up next time<br>I know she knows it's not right  
>there ain't no use in lying..."<strong>

Brittany walked and thought of Santana. In the weeks she had known her, they had been inseparable, but a very comfortable inseparable. She thought about the Latina a lot and sometimes, out of the blue, she would find herself wondering what she was doing.

**"Maybe she thinks I know something  
>maybe, maybe she thinks its fine<br>Maybe she knows something I don't  
>I'm so, I'm so tired of trying..."<strong>

Back in the Dirty Dozen, the group chatted on about the night's poker game. Quinn threw her lucky elephants in the water as she had apparently lost a lot of money. The winners had been Kurt, Blain, and Stephan.

"Hey, you guys wanna continue this game a little further? We can use the poker room on the gad dock." Kurt offered, holding up a deck of cards and a bottle of vodka. Everyone agreed. Santana stayed back.

"Are you coming, hon?" Steph asked.

She looked at the opposite end of the dock where Brittany was walking and saw her turn toward her boat. _She's staying here tonight,_ she thought.

**"It seems to me that maybe  
>it pretty much always means no<br>So don't tell me you might just let it go  
>And often times we're lazy<br>it seems to stand in my way  
>cause no one, no not no one<br>likes to be let down..." **

"No, I'm not really up for a game of poker tonight," she said, looking back to Steph. "I think I am going to walk around on the beach for a bit and maybe go check on Brittany."

"Alright well be careful, okay?"

"I will," she said, kissing Steph on the cheek once again.

Brittany could still hear the music when she got to her boat. And she was still thinking of Santana.

**"I know she loves the sunrise  
>No longer sees it with her sleeping eyes<br>And I know that when she said she's gonna try  
>Well it might not work because of other ties and<br>I know she usually has some other ties  
>And I wouldn't want to break 'em, nah, I wouldn't want to break 'em<br>Maybe she'll help me to untie this but  
>Until then well, I'm gonna have to lie too..."<strong>

The blonde smiled as she thought back on tonight, because Santana had been there. Had Finn or any of the guys been there, she would have had fun, no doubt, but she wouldn't have loved the moments as much.

**"It seems to me that maybe  
>It pretty much always means no<br>So don't tell me you might just let it go  
>And often times we're lazy<br>It seems to stand in my way  
>Cause no one, no not, no one<br>likes to be let down  
>It seems to me that maybe<br>it pretty much always means no  
>So don't tell me you might just let it go…"<strong>

Santana heard the music as she walked, and then ran, down the dock to Brittany's boat. _Okay, Santana. Why are you coming down here?_ She didn't know why, but that's what she liked about it. She arrived at Brittany's boat and stepped aboard. _She must be sleeping,_ she thought. She went down into the cabin. The blonde was in bed, but quickly sat up. "What's wrong, Santana? Is everything okay?" she asked.

"Yes, everything is okay, but I just…I just wanted to spend some more time with you." the brunette said honestly, looking at Brittany. Neither of them said anything, neither of them moved. Finally the blonde smiled and pulled back the covers, letting Santana know it was okay for her to stay. The brunette crawled into bed next to her friend. She smiled and placed a kiss on Brittany's forehead before rolling over.

"Goodnight." Brittany said as she spooned her friend from behind.

**Song credits - 'Flake' by Jack Johnson and 'Blackbird' by the Beatles**


	5. Chapter 5

Brittany had many nights like that over the next few weeks. Steph missed spending the time with his girlfriend that he had been used to, but he had made many friends at the marina since they had arrived. He and Sam became regulars at Figgin's Friday night poker games, and during the week he had gotten a job working with the guys in the yard painting boats and such. After hours, he and Puck hung out a lot. Puck took him to the bars in town and Steph tried to teach the other how to play golf.

Surprisingly, Steph wasn't jealous that Santana and Brittany had been hanging out so much. Instead, he took it as an opportunity to make new friends with others at the marina. The girls still hung out with the group a lot and the alone time they spent was usually when others weren't around or after people had settled in for the night. Steph did find this odd, but then again, he had been doing other things with his time too. _Girl time, _he thought, thinking of his girlfriend and Brittany's odd friendship.

_"Santana, why do you and Brittany hang out so much?" Steph asked, more to solidify his gut feeling than to accuse._

_"I don't know, I like her. We have fun."_

_"What do you mean? You, __**like**__ her like her? You know I've always told you I want you happy. I see you happy when you are with her."_

_"No." Santana thought with a smile, but quickly shook it off. "I mean, I don't know. We just have fun together. She's unlike anyone I've ever met."_

_"I understand, honey. I have fun with these people too. But, eventually it is going to have to end." The brunette looked down, smile leaving her face._

_"Santana, I love the people here. Ya know, Sam and Quinn, and the guys - they are to me what Brittany is to you. But I am not going to get too close to any of them, because I know we are going to have to leave."_

_"I know."_

Santana couldn't stand the thought of leaving Lima Point. She hated thinking about what her life would be without these people in it. Without Brittany.

_"Let's not talk about this anymore tonight, Steph. We have the whole summer still! It's late and I just want to go to bed, alright?" Steph was sad for his girlfriend. He knew how much she cared for Brittany and he already knew leaving Lima Point was going to kill Santana._

_"Alright, sweetie." Steph agreed, pulling his girlfriend into a hug._

It was a normal Saturday for Brittany - putting shipments away and doing inventory. She helped her co-workers in the yard for the afternoon. Lunch was brief for all of them, due to all of the angry boaters that wanted their boats painted, fixed, blocked, etc. It had rained the week before and the guys had gotten behind on the outside work. But Brittany was the one who had to deal with the customers. She was the one who got cursed and yelled at.

The Saturday wasn't as normal for Santana. She was outright bored and has absolutely nothing to do. With Brittany so busy in the yard and in the office, she couldn't hang around and keep her company today. Mike and Tina were on a trip with Figgins and his wife and the rest of the Dirty Dozen group were fishing in the bay. She was sitting on the bow, facing the water as Steph worked on the teak beside her.

"Do you want to do something tonight?" she asked Steph.

"Sure! Sam, Quinn, Puck and I were thinking about cooking out on the end of the dock and then maybe taking the boat for a ride."

"That sounds like fun. Could I come?" she asked.

Steph looked at his girlfriend. "Of course, Santana. Why would you ask that? Oh, and tell Brittany to come too if she'd like. It's always fun when she's around."

Santana smiled. "Yes it is." She gave Steph a kiss and went to the boatyard to see Brittany.

"Hey!" Santana called to Brittany, who was sanding a boat.

The blonde didn't respond.

"Heeeeyyyyyyy!" she called again, thinking about how cute Brittany looked. She had on safety glasses, big leather gloves and a mask. Her hair was up, but falling down. _Too fucking cute,_ Santana thought. But still no answer.

The Latina stood behind her, moving left when she moved left and moving right when she moved right, not wanting to get in the way. Finally, from behind, Santana put her hands to cover Brittany's eyes. The blonde turned the sander off and turned around.

"Hey you!" Brittany said.

"Hey yourself. Whatcha doing?"

"Dirty work, helping the guys out since they are behind. What are _**you**_ doing?

"Coming to see you."

Brittany took off her gloves and safety glasses, pushing back some hair that had fallen out. Santana's eyes grew wide. "Woah, Britts, you look weeeird!" Santana laughed.  
>The blonde's hair was white from the dust. Her face was white everywhere except where her glasses had been.<p>

"Shut up! I'm allowed to look weird on the job, okay?"

Santana kept laughing. "Okay, okay. I won't keep you, but I came by to see if you wanted to go out on the boat tonight. Steph, Quinn, Sam, and Puck are taking out _Naughty Gal_ later on. Oh, and we might cookout on the end of the dock."

"Yeah, Puck mentioned something about that to me. I'll definitely be there." Brittany smiled.

"Okay, good. Hey, when do you get off of work?" Santana asked.

"About four or so, but it's Saturday and I'm the boss, so...whenever." The blonde chuckled.

"Alright, I'll see you then, yeah?"

"You bet." Brittany said, putting her safety glasses back on.

Meanwhile, Puck was at the corner mart on a beer run for Finn.  
>"Hey there, Noah." Jacob said from behind the counter. "You guys starting early today, eh?" Puck said with a laugh. "Hey, what time you getting off today?"<p>

"Around four or so."

"Awesome. We're having a dock party tonight down at the marina. You should come, man. It'll be a blast!"

"Yeah. Thanks for the invite. I need some time away from this place anyway."

"Alright, we'll see you tonight then - around five?"

"I'll be there. Should I bring anything?"

"Beer."

Sue and her latest boy toy had stopped by the marina to check on her boat. Finn saw them from a distance and decided to go say hello.

"Hello there." Finn said. The couple turned around.

"Well hey there, Finny boy!" Sue said, flashing a smile.

"How's your boat doing?"

"It's great, Finny, just great. You did an awesome job on it." Sue raved.

"Yes, and Artie's woodwork is amazing." Her friend added.

"So, what are you guys doing down here? Is there a yacht club trip this weekend?"

"No, we're just checking in on the boat."

"I see, I see. Well, listen, we're having a cookout later and maybe getting some crabs. And we might go out on a new boat here. _Naughty Gal_, have you guys seen it yet? Man, it's a nice one."

"No, we haven't."

"Well, you guys both should come, it'll be a lot of fun."

Sue looked at her friend. "Yeah, that's a good idea. We'll be there."

"Alright! See you then." Finn said, before walking back towards the boatyard.

* * *

><p>Santana made her way back to her boat. She saw Will and Emma pulling in on the way and went to help them tie in.<p>

"Hey Santana, how are you?" Emma asked.

"I'm good, thanks."

"You guys partying tonight?"

"Actually, we're having a little cookout down on the dock. Would you guys like to come?" she offered, thinking it would be okay with the others if she invited them.

"That would be lovely." Emma said. "I'll make sure to bring an extra change of clothes for Will, in case he decides to go swimming again." The trio laughed.

"Awesome, see you guys later!" The brunette continued her way back to her boat.

* * *

><p>"This is <em>Naughty Gal<em> calling _White Swan_, over." Tina said into the VHF radio.

"White Swan here. Hey Tina love, how are ya?" Rachel said.

"Good here, baby doll. We're having a party tonight, down on the dock at the marina. I was just calling you guys to let you guys know about it. You and Joe should come!"

"_Naughty Gal_, no plans tonight. We'll be there!" Rachel replied.

"_Margaritaville_ to _Naughty Gal_. This is Shannon, heard ya'll on the radio."

"Beiste!" Tina said. "You guys should come too!"

"Alrighty! Cooter and I were just talking about it. We're all out here in the bay, fishin' and stuff. I think everyone out here is on this channel."

"Yeah?" Tina said.

* * *

><p>"This is <em>Glamorous<em> to _Naughty Gal_. Mind if Blaine and I stop by?" Kurt asked.

"Not at all, please come!" Tina leaned over and whispered to Mike, "I think we're gonna have a big party tonight. You think that's okay?"

"_Sunny Delight_ to _Naughty Gal_, over."

"Dave!" Cristina yelled into the mic. "You and Lauren coming too?"

"We'll be there!"

"Awesome."

And just like that, everyone was invited. Tonight would be the turning point in the summer for everyone, but especially so for Brittany and Santana.

Santana went to see Brittany right at four o'clock. The girls went to the grocery store to pick up food and ice for the cookout and Finn took his skiff up the river after work and got a bushel of crabs for the cookout. And, as expected, everyone showed up.

The grubbing started underneath the covered slips in the middle of the Dirty Dozen. Everyone set up their grills in front of their boats and brought out their coolers. Finn and Santana hauled a picnic table from the boatyard and set it up right at the end of the dock next to the water.

It was a buffet of sorts. Rachel and Jesse grilled fish, Will and Emma cooked hamburgers and hot dogs. Finn, of course, made good on his promise for crabs and Sue supplied an endless supply of corn on the cob. It was definitely a Dirty Dozen kind of party.

"Hey there." Santana said from behind Brittany.

The blonde turned around and flashed Santana a soft smile. "Hey. You having fun?"

"How could I not? Brittany, I've never been around people like this. I haven't stopped smiling since I've been here."

"Me either. This is definitely the best summer I have ever had." the blonde said, looking Santana in the eyes.

Awkward silence.

"So, hey," the brunette said, "Have you tried Emma's salad thingy?"

"No, I haven't."

"It's pretty good. I don't really know what's in it or if it's even a salad, but it's good!" Brittany linked her arm with Santana's, leading the way back to the others.

Meanwhile, Steph and Quinn shared a few moments of conversation, making small talk while Sam and Finn went swimming off the dock. As the night went on, the grills were turned off and the coolers were emptied. Sam and Quinn had both been drinking, as well as everyone else, so it was decided just to stay at the marina rather than taking out their boat.

Will and Emma chatted on with Dave for a bit while Sue took a liking to Shannon and her boyfriend Cooter. Finn sat with Artie at the picnic table and finished the last of the crabs. The rest of the group just mingled with each other.

Just at sunset, Emma came out onto the gas dock from the Dirty Dozen. "Hey guys! Picture time! Come on now, you guys all get together, all yucky hugging and all, and we'll have some memories tomorrow." Everyone got close and Emma snapped a few pictures on her camera. After the flash went off, everyone huddled around the camera to look at the picture.

Everyone smiled and awed at the picture, asking Emma to make them copies when she could. Steph, on the other hand, furrowed his brows when he saw the picture. "Huh," he said to himself. He and Santana had been on different sides in the picture. He studied how Brittany's arm had been around Santana's waist and how she had been kissing the blonde on the cheek. What he noticed even more was that he wasn't even looking at his girlfriend in the picture or wondering why she hadn't been by his side. Instead, he saw himself looking at Quinn.

He looked up from the camera and over the group of people around him to see Santana laughing with Brittany. The brunette looked over at him, smiled and waved, then returned back to her conversation with the blonde. He looked back down at the picture.

Steph walked over to his girlfriend. "Hey." he said.

"Hey sweetie." Santana said, looking up at him. "What's up?"

"Can we talk for a minute?"

"Sure." Santana looked at Brittany. "I'll be back in a few."

Steph and the Latina walked to the end of the gas dock and sat down.

"Is everything okay, Stephan?"

"Yes, I just…we need to talk."

The brunette looked down at the water. "Santana, we always said we'd be honest with each other, right?"

"Right." Santana didn't know where this was going.

Steph grabbed her hand. "Well, I think it's time we start doing that."

* * *

><p>Back on the gas dock, everyone was still partying.<p>

"Hey guys, we're going to need some more beer." Finn said. "I'm gonna go up to the corner store. Whose coming with?"

"I'll ride." Sam said, grabbing his hat.

A few minutes later, Quinn walked up to Brittany and Tina.

"Hey, has anyone seen Sam?" the blonde asked.

"Oh yeah, he just left on a beer run with my brother." Brittany said, pointing down the dock with her drink.

"And where's Stephan?"

"At the end of the gas dock talking to Santana," the blonde again replied, pointing to the other end.

* * *

><p>"Santana I just don't know what's happened since we've been here." She thought maybe he was talking about Brittany and how much time they'd been spending together. Steph continued. "You know, I can see myself spending the rest of my life here."<p>

_Oh man, I really, really hope he's not proposing to me,_ she thought to herself.

"You know I love you, right?"

"Of course I do, Stephan," the brunette said, suddenly feeling guilty for the amount of time she hadn't been spending with her boyfriend. "I love you too," she said, putting her arm around him.

"I need to tell you something, Santana."

"Okay…" the Latina hesitantly questioned with a hint of curiosity. "What is it?"

"I don't know. I just...Santana, that picture we took tonight...well, I looked at it."

"Yeah! It was a great picture, huh?" she asked, pepping up a bit.

"Listen to me, San. I looked at it and you know what I saw?" Steph was looking square into her eyes. "I saw you kissing Brittany's cheek and I saw her arm around your waist."

"I'm sorry, Steph. I should have been beside you, it just happened so fast and I-"

"No Santana, it's okay! But listen, you two were on the left and I was clear across the other side of the picture. But you know what? I wasn't even looking at you." Steph pulled out the camera that he had managed to temporarily sneak away from Emma. "Look," he said, handing the camera to the brunette.

Santana smiled when she saw the picture of the group. She noticed how happy she and Brittany looked. It _**is**_ a cute picture of them, she thought. Then she looked at Steph and noticed he was all smiles, looking at Quinn. Santana quickly shot her head up to meet Stephan's eyes.

"I like her." Steph said, answering the brunette's silent question.

"Really?" she said with a smile, squinting her eyes.

"Yeah. She makes me laugh, you know?" Steph looked out on the water. "I always did with you too, but she's…different. It's like I want to get to know her more. I want to know everything about her."

"I know what you mean." Santana smiled. "I feel that way when I am with Brittany."

* * *

><p>Finn and Sam came back with more beer and with Jacob, who had gotten lost in the boatyard after getting off from his shift at work. Finn introduced him to the group as he poured two more cases of beer into the cooler.<br>"You guys _**do**_ seem to have a lot of fun around here. You do this every night?"

"Just about." Finn said, cracking a beer open and handing it to Jacob. "I told you man, you gotta start hanging out with us more often."

* * *

><p>"So what about us?" Santana hesitantly asked.<p>

"I love you, Santana. You know that. But you and I, we're not in love. We're more like best friends. I see more between you and Brittany than I do with us."

The brunette thought about what was happening. "I know. I just…what about the boat and Chicago and everything?"

"What about it? What, best friends can't own a boat or live together?" Steph said, laughing.

"Yes, they can I guess," she said in agreement. "So, we're friends?"

"Yes, that's the way I'd like it to be. Steph said. "It'll be best for the both of us. No cheating, or lying, or feeling guilty for feelings you and I both cannot control. I have always wanted you to be happy, Santana Lopez. I think you, as well as I, will be happier this way."

"I agree," the brunette said, looking down at her dangling feet.

As she and Steph continued to talk, the party at the dock continued on. Puck and Cooter played a few hands of blackjack in the poker room beside the ship store while Sue and Finn chatted at the other end of the dock.

"Do you think you could change the zincs on _Queen Bee _tomorrow? Boy toy says they may need checking." Sue said, taking a sip of her wine.

"Ms. Sylvester, it's Saturday night and I really down want to talk about work right now."

"I know, I'm sorry," Finn turned to walk away. "but, it's just something that we need to have done."

Finn rolled his eyes before turning back around. "I have Sundays off."

"Please, Finn. What would it take?"

Finn looked around for a minute and finally smiled, returning his eyes to Sue's. He got a beer from the cooler. "I'll tell you what," he started. "you beer bong this Miller Lite and I'll change your zincs tomorrow."

Sue looked around. "What do you mean, like _**chug**_ it?" she asked with a sarcastic laugh.

"Something like that." Finn chuckled.

"Well I cannot do that. I cannot just go around chugging beer like a, like a frat boy in public."

"Okay then, you'll have to wait until sometime next week to have your zincs done."

* * *

><p>"So, what's going on with you and Brittany?" Steph asked.<p>

"Nothing...God, I don't know. Steph, she's so different from anyone I've ever met. Some of the best times I've had in my life have been with her and I've known her, what, all of two months?"

"You know, Santana. I know you're not gay and all," Steph said quoting the word 'gay' with his hands. "but you don't have to be gay to fall in love with another girl. Maybe you just love Brittany. Does that make any sense?"

"That's the thing. I don't know if I love her or if it's just this town." Santana started rambling. "And I was thinking about what you said about us eventually having to leave. You know? What if do fall in love with Brittany or what if I already have? What would I do? Move here and forget my whole life in Chicago? And the boat - we bought it together. If I stay and you move, it's just going to be different and...complicated," she finished as her voice trailed off.

Steph could see the confusion in Santana's eyes, he put his arm around her. "You always were one to plan everything ahead."

"Yeah, well I didn't plan on meeting Brittany."

"I know, and I didn't plan on meeting Quinn."

"Yeah." Santana sighed.

"Yeah."

After a few moments, Stephan broke the silence. "Hey, let's play it by ear, Santana. Whatever happens, happens. We'll deal with it when the time comes. Okay?"  
>"Alright." the brunette agreed, smiling at her newfound best friend.<p>

As they walked back up the dock to join the others, Steph thought of Quinn and Santana's mind was filled with those of Brittany. They looked at each other and smiled, unsure of what the rest of the summer would bring, but knowing everything was going to be okay.

When they got back to the party, they found Finn and others chanting for Sue as she beer bonged a can of brew. Most of the people there were circled around the feisty blonde, watching on. "We don't see this everyday, do we bro?" Puck asked Artie.

"Hell no, this is crazy!"

"Uhhhhhgg!" Sue spatted, bending over and wiping beer from her mouth. "How do you guys do that more than once?"

Steph and Santana joined the group.

"Hey!"Sam said, noticing Steph. "You guys missed it! Sue just did a beer bong!" The group laughed.

"I'll see you later, okay?" Steph said, turning to look at Santana. "I'm gonna go see where she is."

She smiled. "Okay." The brunette was all of a sudden very thankful for having someone so understanding as Steph in her life.

Brittany noticed Santana from the cooler, where she was grabbing a beer. Through the crowd of people, she saw her friend looking out onto the water, thinking to herself. The blonde made her way over to Santana and stuck her head on her right shoulder from behind.

"Lot on your mind?" Brittany said softly.

Santana turned her head to see Brittany smiling. "Yeah. You could say that."

"Everything okay with you and Stephan?" the blonde asked asked.

"Yes, everything is good." Santana said, deciding not to tell Brittany about their recent conversation just yet.

Steph walked up to Quinn, who had been talking to Mike and Tina. "Hey," he said with a smile.

"Hey yourself. Enjoying the party?"

"I am. You?"

"Of course. I always enjoy their parties here," Quinn smiled. "but I'm enjoying it much more now." Steph looked down at his beer that he had been clutching with both hands, then back up to the blonde with a shy smile.

"Come on, grab your beer. I want to show you something." Brittany said, standing offering a hand to Santana.

The blonde led Santana back onto the dock where the covered slips were and through the Dirty Dozen. Right after you pass the main slips there is a solid wall built to separate those slips from the others. Before you get to the firewall, on the right, there are two flights of stairs that go to the rafters on the roof. Finn and the guys had built it two summers ago so they could access the electrical equipment used for the marine store and poker room.

They ascended the narrow set of stairs and made their way through a pair of doors. It was similar to an over-sized attic and to the left was a little room with a window and some pillows. To the right there were five planks, flesh to each other going all the way back down towards the end of the gas dock. "Follow me, but be careful." Brittany said, looking back at the brunette. Santana nodded, looking down with each step.

"When my brother and the guys build skiffs in the winter, they use this big space for their blueprints so they can lay them out to see them better. People also use it for wrapping their sails because they need lots of of space."

Santana listened to her friend, still walking cautiously. They were walking over top of the dirty dozen back towards the group down below. "And there's your boat down there." Brittany said, pointing down to the left.

They made it to the end and arrived at a platformed, a-framed opening. "Wow." Santana said under her breath, looking out onto the water. "This is amazing, Brittany."  
>The blonde smiled. They were about thirty feet up and parallel to the dock beneath them, where everyone else was. Just she and Santana.<p>

The girls sat down beside each other and dangled their feet over the ledge. "And this is my second favorite place in Lima Point." Other than me and the guys, you're the only person who knows about this."

"Well, your secret is safe with me." Santana said with a smile. Brittany looked at the brunette and returned the smile. The moonlight was hitting Santana's face in a way that, for a moment, mesmerized the blonde. She quickly averted her eyes down to the water.

"Santana, we haven't talked about this, but I am pretty sure by now you know that I'm, uh...that I'm gay." Brittany continued, turning again to Santana. "Does that bother you?"

"What? Brittany, no. Not at all. I do live in Chicago, remember?" Santana smiled. "I have lots of gay friends."

"I know, I just - I find myself looking at you sometimes and I don't know why. I just don't want to make you to feel uncomfortable."

Santana didn't break the eye contact. "There's no way that could ever happen. I feel more comfortable with you than with anyone I've ever met."

Brittany smiled softly and brushed a stray lock of hair from Santana's face and tucked it behind her ear. "Good."

For some reason, Santana slowly grabbed Brittany's hand and held it. Both girls, feet still dangling, faces softly smiling, stared out straight ahead to the water. Neither one said anything. Neither one knew why they were holding hands, but it felt right for both of them. It was finally Brittany broke the silence.

"Wanna go swimming?" she asked the brunette.

"Yes, that'd be nice."

"Okay," Brittany stood up and extended her hand to Santana. "On the count of three. One. Two…"

"Wait! We're gonna jump from up here?" the Latina asked with concern.

"Yeah, why not?"

"Well, it's high up, that's gotta be like 25 feet at least!"

"Yeah. Actually it's about 30. And it's fun." Brittany took Santana's hand into her own. "Ready?"

"Alright, alright. I'll go." Santana said, trying to hide the fact that she was a little scared.

The blonde counted "One."

"Two." Santana said, breathing in sharply.

"Three!" both said in unison, as they jumped into the water below.

The splash caught the rest of the group on the dock by surprise. They all looked around, then down into the water. Finn smiled when he saw Santana and his sister, knowing where they had jumped from. He knew Brittany never took anyone up there. Steph looked on and smiled as well, seeing both of them happy.  
>"Those girls are crazy!" Quinn said turning back to her conversation with Steph, Tina and Mike.<p>

Santana looked at Brittany. "Oh my gosh, that _**was**_ fun!"

"I told you!"

And for a moment, it was just them, the water, and the moonlight.

They both treaded water, just inches in front of each other. "Summer nights." Santana said softly, spitting water out of her mouth. "That's my third S." Brittany smiled, never taking her eyes off of the girl in front of her.

The girls climbed up the ladder and joined the rest of the group on the dock. Brittany grabbed her keys from the boat and opened up the marine store to get towels for her and Santana. "Here ya go." the blonde said, handing the brunette a towel.

"Thanks."

Artie went into the marine store and turned on the radio. "Hey Artie, man, turn this up!" Finn yelled from the cooler.

**"We get it almost every night  
>When that moon is big and bright<br>it's a supernatural delight  
>Everybody's dancing in the moonlight…"<strong>

Everyone stood around, chatting, laughing and drinking their beer. Santana glanced over across the way to Stephan, who was talking to Quinn. She smiled, happily knowing that everything was in its place, however crazy that all of this was turning out to be for the two of them.

**"Everybody here is out of sight and  
>they don't bark and they don't bite<br>They keep things loose they keep it tight  
>Everybody's dancing in the moonlight…"<strong>

Steph looked over to Santana and chuckled as he saw her drying off Brittany's back. They met eyes and smiled. He was happy for her for this was the first time he had ever seen Santana Lopez smitten all to hell.

**"Everybody's dancing in the moonlight  
>Everybody's feeling warm and right<br>It's such a fine and natural sight  
>Everybody's dancing in the moonlight…"<strong>

Everyone started dancing. Though Steph wanted to dance with Quinn, he knew she was still with Sam. No one really danced with anyone in particular; they just danced around and enjoyed the night.

**"Everybody here is out of sight  
>They don't bark, and they don't bite<br>They keep things loose, they keep things light  
>Everybody was dancing in the moonlight…"<strong>

Santana twirled Brittany and Mike cuddled Tina from behind as they swayed. The music fit the mood and the words to the song fit Santana's heart. And under the moonlight, everyone sang…

**"Everybody's dancing in the moonlight  
>Everybody's feeling warm and right<br>It's such a fine and natural sight  
>Everybody's dancing in the moonlight…"<strong>


	6. Chapter 6

It had been a couple of weeks since the party, when Santana and Stephan had amicably called it quits. The Latina had not yet told Brittany about their breakup, but it was pretty obvious to most of the group what was going on. Steph had admitted to Tina his feelings for Quinn and also about his suspicion that Santana might have feelings for her Brittany. But other than that, no one knew for sure what was really going on.

The Fourth of July celebration was making its way closer as the group began making plans for the holiday. Every year, Finn took everyone at the marina out on the _Pathfinder_to see the show on the water. He also put both of his masts on and hung a flag between them, along with other decorations, lights and flags. He and others at the marina had been doing this for years, but this Fourth of July would be different as their new group of friends would be there to join them.

The Friday before the Fourth, Brittany and the guys, along with Santana and Steph, worked all day decorating the boat. Puck used the crane to put on the masts and Finn had hung the flag. Brittany and Santana worked most of the day stringing lights on the masts and along the length of the boat. They hauled coolers down, stocked the refrigerator with water and soda, and did some last-minute cleaning before the big day. Brittany was sweeping in the forward cabin when Santana came down the stairs.

"This should be the last of them." Santana said, throwing a pile of lifejackets on the bed.

"Awesome, thanks! If we need more, we can always get some from Will and Emma," the blonde replied, sweeping the pile of dirt into the dust pan.

Santana sat on the bed across from her friend. "I'm getting really excited, Brittany! I've never seen fireworks on the water before."

"Oh, it's amazing, Santana. You can see like ten shows at once - Lima Point's and the Mr. Figgins'. Oh! And all of the islands do a show too. It's really cool."

Santana looked around the room. "Well, I think the boat is ready to go for Sunday night. What do you think?"

"I'd have to agree. We did a good job." Brittany replied as they both smiled.

"So, uh, I was wondering if you had plans for tonight?" Santana asked, looking around nervously.

"No, nothing in particular. Why?" the blonde said, yawning.

"I was thinking, maybe we could go across the river for dinner tonight. Maybe to one of the islands or something?"

Brittany smiled. "I'd love that. When do you want to go?"

"Maybe leave around six or so? That good for you?" Santana asked with a smile.

"It's perfect."

Brittany yawned again. "I think I am going to take a nap, I'm so tired. What time is it?"

"It's about 3:30," the Latina said, looking at her watch.

"Can you come wake me up when you're ready to go?" Brittany asked, lying down on the bed.

"Sure thing," the brunette replied, handing her a pillow. "Sleep well."

The blonde smiled to herself as she watched Santana go up the stairs and off of the boat. "Did she just ask me out on a date?" she mumbled to herself.

Santana had a smile from ear to ear as she walked down the main dock. It hit her all of a sudden what she had just done. _"Did I just ask her out on a date? Do I __**want**__ it to be a date?" _Santana suddenly became nervous. _"Where am I going to take her? I don't know where her favorite places are?"_ In truth, the brunette hadn't even planned on going to dinner or taking her boat out tonight. But when she was standing in front of Brittany, it just came out. _"Okay, okay. Finn will know what to do."_

Santana turned left to go see Finn in the boatyard. She walked up to him and the other guys. "Hey uh, can I talk to you for a minute?" she asked.

Finn noticed the nervousness in Santana's eyes and pulled her aside. "What's up, Lopez? Everything okay?"

"Yes, everything is fine. Umm..." Santana began shaking her hands as she paced. "Well, Finn, I asked your sister to dinner tonight. And I don't know if I meant it to be a date, but I think I did. No, I'm pretty sure I did, but she doesn't know that. Well, maybe she does…"

Finn smiled. "And let me guess, you don't have anything to wear?"

"I'm being serious, dude. I didn't know that I was going to ask her until I actually did."

"Wait. Date? What happened to you and Steph?" he asked asked.

"Oh, we're just friends now. I'll tell you the story later, but I don't have time right this second."

Finn acted confused, and played along anyway, knowing full well what was going on. He listened as the Latina continued. "What I need to know is where Brittany likes to eat. Like, where's her favorite place to go? I don't know much about this area, but I wanted to go across the river. Somewhere on the water."

"Oh, okay. She really likes this place over on Soloman's Island called Captain John's. It's a really casual place on the water. They always have a reggae band there, it's awesome."

"Alright, now how do I get there?"

"You know when you go out in the channel, like you're going towards Cobb Island?"

The brunette nodded.

"Well, pass Cobb Island and you'll see a red marker 7 on the right. Follow that marker and it'll take you to the west side of the island. Captain John's will be the third dock down."

"Thank you so much, Finn!" She kissed him on the cheek. "I owe you one." she said, running back towards the docks.

"Have fun!" He called back

Santana walked down to her boat, thinking of what she was going to wear. "I don't have a damn thing," she muttered to herself, stepping on board. She went into her cabin and fumbled through her clothes. Steph walked out of the shower with a towel wrapped around his waist.

"Hey you." he said, surprising her.

The brunette looked up, a little startled. "Hey."

"What's up?"

"I can't find anything to wear! I am going to dinner with Brittany later and I don't have a thing to wear, Stephan!"

He laughed. "Relax, Santana. Get in the shower and I'll find something for you. By the way, I have a date tonight, too." Steph said, sticking his tongue out at her.

"Oh yeah?" she said. "Quinn?"

Stephan smiled and walked away.

"What, she has a husband I thought?"

He stuck his head back in the doorway. "Well, I guess things are complicated here in Lima Point."

Santana grabbed a towel and went into the bathroom. Clothes, thanks to Tina, two dabs of perfume and an hour and a half later, she was on her way to Finn's boat to wake up Brittany.

She walked down into the cabin and nudged the blonde. "Wake up, sleepyhead."

Brittany rolled over and met Santana's eyes. "Time to go?" she asked, rubbing her face.

"Yep, here are some clothes for you. I stopped by your boat and picked them up, thought you'd want something a little more comfortable for tonight."

"Thanks."

"You change here, I'll meet you down on the boat in a few minutes, okay?"

"We taking your boat?" the blonde asked.

"Yep."

"Okay." Brittany said smiling, pulling herself out of the bed.

* * *

><p>The girls pulled out of the marina just around six o'clock. Santana tried her best to remember how Finn told her to get to the island, but she had to use her charts anyway.<br>Brittany noticed the brunette studying the charts, looking out in front of her every once in a while. "So, where are we going?" the blonde asked.

"Well, I think I know. I've just never been there before." Santana replied. Just as she was staring to become worried that they were lost, she saw marker number 7. She let out a sigh and smiled. Brittany knew the water well. She knew exactly where they were.

"Santana, are we going to Captain John's by any chance?"

"Yep, we sure are." She looked at the blonde with a smile.

"This is my favorite place to come over here, how did you know?"

"I just know these things."

"Have you been here before?" Brittany asked.

"Nope."

"Oh, you'll love it!" she said, grabbing her arm. "They have a reg-"

"Reggae band, every night?" Santana caught Brittany off guard by finishing her sentence.

Santana looked at the girl beside her as she slowed down the boat, turning the wheel to dock. Brittany broke the silence and hopped off the boat as Santana threw her the lines to tie up.

The brunette grabbed her wallet and got off the boat. "Ready?" she said, offering her arm to Brittany.

"Ready." the blonde replied, linking her arm with Santana's.

They continued walking, arm in arm, down the long dock of the pier and into the sand. Captain John's was a fair-sized restaurant that sat right on the water and had its own beach in front. There was a screened-in porch that faced the water and there were lit tiki torches that made a path from the dock to the main door. And, just as Finn had said, there was a reggae band playing on the deck.

"Two for dinner?"

"Yes. If possible, could we sit on the porch, please?" Santana asked.  
>The hostess nodded and took them to a table by the water. The girls sat across from each other with the band behind Santana and the bar behind the other.<p>

They shared a bottle of wine and talked over dinner. Santana ordered crab cakes and Brittany the salmon. They both tried a little of each other's dinner, the brunette discovering her extreme dislike for fish.

"So, do you miss Chicago?" the blonde asked.

"I do, but it's where I've lived, you know? I think I might miss it here in Lima Point more than Chicago if I left."

"If?"

Santana smiled. "I don't know Brittany, I really like it here. I feel home, like this is where I'm supposed to be."

"I've been here all of my life. I couldn't imagine going somewhere else and leaving it all behind."

"Maybe that's because you've never had to look for a place that feels so right?" Santana said as she leaned back in her chair, taking in her surroundings and Brittany in particular.

As Santana talked more about Chicago, Brittany scanned the restaurant to people-watch. She looked over by the band and noticed a couple of familiar faces sitting at a table tucked away in the corner. It was Quinn and Stephan. She looked at Santana quickly, who had noticed her absence in the conversation.

"Is everything okay, Brittany?"

"Yeah, everything is fine," the blonde said, not wanting Santana to see Stephan having dinner with Quinn. "I was just looking at the band."

"I haven't really seen the band all night. Mind if I sit next to you to watch?" Santana asked.

_Oooh, what do I do?_ Brittany thought. _If she sits on this side, she'll see Steph with Quinn. If I say no, then she'll wonder why. Either way, she's gonna look in that direction anyway, may as well have her sit next to me._

"Sure." Brittany smiled.

Santana pulled over her chair and sat next to the blonde. She bobbed her head with the band as she scanned her surroundings. Then, she saw Steph and Quinn. Brittany watched Santana from the corner of her eye, waiting for a _what the hell?_to come out of her mouth. Instead, she saw the brunette wave to the couple and smile.

"Okay, what did I miss?" Brittany asked.

"What do you mean?" Santana replied nonchalantly.

"Well, Santana, your boyfriend is sitting over there with Quinn, who I thought was with Sam, obviously on a date, and you don't care?"

"Actually Brittany, Steph and I aren't together anymore."

"What?" the blonde replied.

"Remember when he and I went down on the dock a couple of weeks ago and talked? When we had the party?"

"Yeah?"

"I don't know. We just realized that it'd be better not to be together as couple anymore."

"And this was, what, two weeks ago? And you didn't tell me?" Brittany asked semi-playfully.

"I know, I'm sorry. I don't know why I didn't tell you." Santana looked over to Stephan.

"Are you sad?" Brittany asked sympathetically.

"Not at all. Steph will always be in my life. He's a great guy, but we aren't in love. He likes Quinn, a lot. And I…"

"You what?"

Santana met Brittany's eyes. "I'm really happy too."

The band began to play Bob Marley's, "Is This Love?" Santana noticed Stephan and Quinn getting up to dance. He looked over at Santana and mouthed, "Ask her to dance."

She looked at Brittany, then back at Steph and then down into her lap, nodding to herself. As nervous as she was, she managed to softly grab the blonde's hand. "Let's dance."  
>Brittany looked at Santana with wide eyes and an 'okay' was all she could mutter. The Latina stood up and led the way to the dance floor where Steph and Quinn, along with many other couples, were dancing.<p>

It was then that Brittany noticed how beautiful Santana looked. The brunette had on a tight, cream-colored tank top that matched perfectly with a hibiscus sarong she had wrapped around her waist. Her hair was up in a messy ponytail, with a few stray hairs hanging down around her face. Santana took Brittany's hand and lifted it above them, with her other down by her side. They danced to the music...

**"I wanna love ya and treat you right  
>I wanna love ya everyday and every night<br>We'll be together with a roof right over our head  
>We'll share the shelter of my single bed…"<strong>

Santana glanced over at Steph and his date and winked at her former flame. Winking back, he mouthed silently, "Our girls are hot."

"Very." Santana softly replied back.

**"Is this love, is this love that I'm feeling...?"**

Brittany was in a moment she never wanted to end. The sun was setting on the beach beside them, she was with Santana and they were dancing. _It doesn't get much better than this,_she thought as they continued to enjoy the music.

**"I wanna know, wanna know, now  
>I've got to know, got to know<br>I'm willing and able  
>So I throw my cards on your table…"<strong>

Santana twirled Brittany and then pulled the blonde to meet her eyes as she sang along with the music.

**"Is this love, is this love, that I'm feeling...?"**

They danced a few more songs, waved goodbye to Stephan and Quinn, and left Captain John's. They were pulling away from the dock just at the end of sunset.

It was unusually chilly for a July night. The stars were beginning to come out and the full moon lit the waters around them. Brittany stood beside Santana as they navigated the boat.

"Kinda cold out tonight, huh?"Brittany asked.

"Yeah, it is." The brunette replied. "Do you need to get back to the marina any time soon?"

"I'm free until my shift tomorrow morning," Brittany smiled.

"You sure? 'Cause I was thinking maybe we could stay out here for awhile." Santana said. "That sound good?"

Brittany linked her left arm with the Latina's right. "Sounds perfect."

The girls drove through the channel and anchored out off of Fairview Beach, just west of Lima Point. Santana grabbed Brittany's hand. "Come on, I'll give you a tour of the boat," the brunette said, pulling Brittany down below.

"This is the galley," Santana said, giving her best 'Vanna-White-showing-off-a-car' impression. "And back there is the bathroom and aft cabin. The girls went back up the stairs, through the living room, and down to the forward cabin.

"And here is the master bedroom. This is where I sleep. Oh, and check out this bathroom - there's a claw-foot tub!" Santana said excitedly. "Cool, huh?"

"Very. Your boat's wicked awesome." Brittany replied.

"Hey, lemme show you the bridge!" Santana said, taking the blonde's hand again.

"Wow." This is sick, Santana." Brittany said, looking around. "This is huge. And you even have a dinghy!"

"Yeah." Santana said, nodding her head.

Both girls just stood quietly next to each other. "Hey, I have an idea," the brunette said. "let's take this thing out for a run." she finished, pointing at the dinghy.

"Oooh, fun."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." Brittany smiled.

"Okay, I am going to go down and get a few things from the cabin. Could you start cranking down this rope right here?" Santana said, pointing to the wheel.

"Sure."

"Okay, I'll be right back." Hurrying down to the cabin, she grabbed a couple of blankets, a pillow, a bottle of wine, and two glasses. She saw Steph's zippo lighter sitting on the table. She smiled and grabbed that too. "You got that thing in the water yet, Britt?" Santana called from downstairs.

Santana went out back and looked down into the water. "You coming or what?" Brittany asked, looking up from the dinghy, which she had successfully gotten into the water and started. Santana looked down at her friend. _She's so beautiful, _she thought. She smiled at the blonde, making her way down the back of the boat onto the swim platform and into the dinghy. She put her bag in the front of the boat and sat down beside Brittany in the back. "Okay, let's go."

Brittany drove the small boat to the beach and pulled it ashore. Santana grabbed her bag and joined Brittany in the sand. The brunette took a blanket out of her bag and laid it out in front of the water. Brittany sat down and stretched her feet out in front of her and propped herself up on her elbows as Santana pulled the bottle of wine and glasses out of her bag.

"Shit," the Latina said. "I forgot the wine key."

"It's okay. I'll run back to boat and get it. I need to get something anyway."

"Okay, I can go if you want." Santana offered.

"No," Brittany smiled. "you can keep the blanket warm."

"Alright." The brunette said, still seated, looking up at Brittany.

The blonde leaned down and kissed Santana on the cheek. "See you in a few."

Santana smiled. "You bet."

Brittany hopped in the dinghy and started back towards the boat. Santana, starting to get a little chilly, decided to make a fire. She went back into the grassy area of the beach and gathered some scrap wood and branches. She took the wood back to the beach and lit a small fire between the blanket and the water. She threw some dry grass on top of the small flame to get it going a bit. "Perfect." she muttered to herself, just as Brittany was pulling back up to the beach. She looked up to meet eyes with the blonde. "Hey."

"Hey, you made a fire?"

"Yeah, it was getting a little chilly."

"Where did you learn how to make fires? Cause it's actually kinda hard."

"Chicago is cold. We have woodstoves." Santana smiled.

"Well anyway, I got a hoodie for you." Brittany said, tossing the brunette a sweatshirt. "And here's the key."

Santana opened the bottle and poured each of them a small glass. "To tonight," she said, clinking her glass to Brittany's. The blonde smiled. "To tonight."

The girls sat by the fire and talked.

"So can I ask you something Santana?"

"Sure."

"Was, umm, tonight a date?" the blonde asked, not sure whether she should have or not.

Santana looked into the fire and out at the water and slowly over to Brittany. "Yes, I think so. Well, yes it was."

Brittany smiled.

"Is that okay?" Santana asked.

"Of course it is. I guess it just came out of the blue for me, you know?"

Santana sat up and propped her forearms on her knees, holding her glass of wine. Brittany did the same, looking out into the water.

"Brittany, I have thought about this a lot, because I knew this conversation would eventually happen between us. I wanted to know what I would say to you when it did. I hadn't planned on going to dinner tonight when I asked you. I just knew that I wanted to spend time with you."

Brittany listened as the brunette talked.

"I felt something for you before I even knew you were gay. It's just there between us. I like you, like a lot and I can't explain it. But, I can tell you that I still have a lot of things to figure out with all of this, but I am not confused with my feelings for you. I know that right now, at this moment, I want to be with you - and tomorrow I will still feel the same way."

Santana looked at the girl sitting next to her. She saw a crooked, dimpled smile by the firelight. "Is that enough for right now?" the brunette asked with questioning eyes.

Brittany nodded with a soft smile and pulled Santana into a hug. After a few moments, the brunette reluctantly pulled away, grabbing the other blanket from her bag. She sat down on the blanket behind Brittany and wrapped the blanket around them both. She kissed the blonde on the cheek from behind and said the only thing she could think of.

"I am crazy about you, Brittany."

* * *

><p>Santana woke up the next morning to the water brushing against her feet. She and Brittany had fallen asleep on the beach last night. The tide had since come in, so the water was ebbing in and out on their legs. She sat up and looked over at the blonde, who was still asleep lying on her side, just the way she was last night when Santana had fallen asleep, spooning her from behind.<p>

She brushed a lock of hair away from Brittany's face as she thought about last night. The girls had stayed up talking, learning a little more about one another.

_"Alright, so what's your last name, Santana?" Brittany asked softly._

_"Lopez," the Latina replied. "Nothing exciting, I know. What's yours?"_

_"Pierce."_

_"Brittany Pierce." Santana smiled. "I like that."_

Santana looked out to the horizon, the sun would be coming up soon. She got up and tucked her part of the blanket around the rest of Brittany. She smiled at the blonde and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. Santana wanted to get a couple of things from the boat for she and Brittany before the sun came up. "I should leave her a note," she said to herself.

She fumbled through her bag. "No pen," she muttered. She checked the front pocket and found a pencil. She checked her other pockets. "No paper," she said, throwing her pencil nonchalantly in the water with an 'oh well' expression on her face.

She went over to the grassy area and picked up a twig. She walked next to where Brittany was still sleeping, knelt down, and wrote a note in the damp sand. "Just in case you wake up," the brunette said under her breath, sticking the twig in the sand as if it were a pen holder.

Santana hopped in the dinghy and began driving back to her boat. With the wind blowing in her hair, she looked back in the direction of Brittany. She turned back around and smiled, noticing the sun was almost up.

Maybe it was the sound of the dinghy starting up or maybe it was the absence of Santana next to her. Whatever it was, Brittany did something she had never in her life done - she woke up on her own. She sleepily peeked an eye open to notice a stick in front of her face poking out of the sand. She looked beside her, Santana wasn't there. Slowly, she propped herself up on her left arm, took the stick and saw the note Santana had left for her, etched in the sand…

_Pretty Eyes,  
>Went to the boat. Sit tight. Be back in five.<br>Love, Santana_

Brittany smiled at this, looking in the direction of the boat.

Santana went to the galley and started a pot of coffee. She went down to her bedroom and grabbed her camera and Stephan's guitar. She went back upstairs and hurriedly poured the finished coffee into a thermos, grabbed two mugs, and was out the door.

On her way back to the beach, Santana noticed Brittany wasn't there. She pulled ashore and grabbed her things and began walking to where they had slept the night before. The blankets were still there. _Maybe she's peeing or something, _the brunette thought to herself. Just then, she noticed a note in the sand.

_Follow Me. :)_

There was an arrow pointing to a footprint, then another. And another. Santana smiled as she followed the trail of footprints in the sand up to a small, weathered pier. Brittany was sitting at the end of it, with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders and her back to Santana. The brunette walked down the dock, stopping halfway to admire Brittany from afar. As if the blonde could feel her staring, she turned around, placed a lock of hair behind her ear and flashed a sleepy smile. "Hey."

Santana started walking towards her. "Good morning, sleepy head," she said, sitting down on the end of the pier next to the blonde. "I made us some coffee." She poured each of them a cup and set the thermos aside.

"Nice morning, isn't it?" Santana asked.

"Yes, it is. The sun should be coming up soon, right over there I think," the blonde replied, pointing a little to the right. Santana stole a glance from Brittany as the blonde was still looking for the sun.

The girls sipped on coffee as the sun came up. The cloudless sky was purple, then orange, then a little of both. As the sky got brighter, Santana set her coffee down and grabbed the guitar.  
>She looked at the frets, then at her fingers, then back to the frets again. "Okay, be nice, Brittany. This is my first performance. For anyone. Ever." Santana laughed nervously.<p>

"You can play?" Brittany asked.

"Umm, well no, er, yes. Well, Steph's been teaching me...or trying to anyway."

"Alright, well I'm all ears." Brittany said averting her attention to the girl beside her.

**"Little darling, dear  
>it's been a long, cold, lonely winter.<br>Little darling dear,  
>it feels like years since it's been here…"<strong>

Santana sang, attempting to perfectly pick the strings. She wasn't doing bad, but Brittany could tell she was a beginner. The blonde sang along with her, looking out into the water.

**"Little darling,  
>the smiles returning to their faces.<br>Little darling,  
>it feels like years since it's been here.<strong>

**"Here comes the sun**  
><strong>Here comes the sun and I say<strong>  
><strong>it's alright…"<strong>

The girls laughed and sang together on the end of the dock in front of the morning sunlight. Santana put down the guitar and stood up. "Gimme your hand," she said, pulling Brittany up. She took a camera out of her left pocket and put her right arm around the girl.

"So we'll remember this day forever." she said, looking at the blonde. Santana positioned the camera in front of them and snapped a picture of she and Brittany, with the sunrise just off to the right.

Santana looked at the blonde. "Brittany, doesn't it usually take an act of congress to get you up every morning? Why did you wake up?"

"I really don't know. Maybe somehow I knew I would miss all of this with you if I'd stayed asleep."

"Good enough for me," she said with a smile, linking her arm with Brittany, looking back out at the sunrise.

The girls packed up and made their way back to Lima Point just after sunrise. It was a little after seven when they pulled into the marina.

"Up and at 'em early this morning, eh girls?" Finn called from the dock store as they were tying in.

Puck peeked out. "Out for an early morning cruise?" He noticed the tired eyes on both of the girls. "…or never came back last night?"

"Something like that." Santana said with a crooked smile as she tied the bowline onto the piling.

Both Artie and Finn joined the girls on the end of the dock. "How the hell did you get her to wake up?" Finn asked Santana, pointing to his sister.

"Hey! I am not that bad!" Brittany retorted. "Actually, I woke up on my own this morning. Isn't that right, Santana?"

The brunette nodded in agreement with a 'yeah-but-I-was-surprised-by-it-too' kind of look.

"You're kidding, right? Brittany, it takes two people and a bucket of water to wake you up every morning."

"Whatever, Finn. Hey, isn't it a little early for you too? Aren't you usually still in your camper sleeping off your drunken stupor from the night before?"

Finn smirked. "So, you coming to work Britts? Or are we playing hooky today?" Finn pointed back and forth between she and Santana.

"Why wouldn't I be coming in?" The blonde stepped off the boat to join her brother and held out her elbow. "Escort me?" The siblings linked arms and began walking down the dock in the direction of the boatyard. Brittany turned around after only a few steps and put her fist to her mouth, signaling Santana to call her on the walkie talkies later.

The Latina smiled and gave a thumbs up. It was about then when she realized how tired she was. Yawning, she decided to hop back on her boat and head down to the cabin for a nap.

Tina and Emma were walking up the dock, on their way back from a breakfast slash coffee run when Tina noticed Santana's boat. "Wonder where Miss _**thang**_ was all night?" she said to Emma with an evil laugh.

"I dunno. I heard Quinn saying she saw her and Brittany over on Soloman's last night. Maybe they took a little holiday up the river?"

They both looked at each other and then at Santana's boat. "Ooh, let's go get the scoop." Tina said with a laugh.

Santana had been asleep all of ten minutes when Tina trampled her in the bed. "Okay missy, where were _**you**_ last night?"

"What? I have a curfew now?" Santana asked with a sleepy laugh.

"No, we just heard about your little excursion with boat girl over at Captain John's last night," Tina started. "and we were just coming by to get all of the juicy details."

"What?" Santana asked. She looked at Tina like she was crazy.

Santana liked Emma, but she didn't know her that well and she definitely didn't feel comfortable sharing what she and Brittany had done last night with her. She threw Tina an 'I'll-tell-you-later' kind of look.

"Brittany and I went to dinner at Captain John's, then we anchored out and slept on the beach. It was _**super**_ cool, but I am _**super**_ tired. So, if you guys would kindly come back just a wee bit later, that would be _**super **_awesome."

Emma and Tina laughed, both of them knowing more than that probably happened. They both knew that Santana and Stephan were no longer together and that the two girls were, even though they didn't know it yet, crazy for each other.

Santana plopped back down into the bed. "Wait, how did you know we were at Captain John's, anyway?" she asked.

"We saw Quinn and Steph last night. They said they saw you guys there." Emma replied. Santana thought back to the dance she and Brittany had shared.

_"I wanna love you  
>and treat you right<br>I wanna love you,  
>everyday and every night…"<em>

The brunette snapped out of it, remembering Steph. "Shit. I had the boat last night. Where did he sleep?"

Tina looked at Emma and they both looked down at the floor and laughed. "I think he and Quinn anchored out too, just out in the creek."

"Yeah, they had some boom-boom time probably."

Santana smiled. "Get outta here, I need some sleep!" the brunette shooed them off with a smirk.

Brittany was at her desk, asleep, when Puck and Artie came into the office. It was a quarter after noon and she hadn't brought lunch into the shop yet. They found her with her head heavily rested under her left arm on a stack of files. Her right arm was hanging down towards the floor. Puck looked at Artie and nodded with a mischievous smile.

Two minutes later, Artie came back with the bull horn. Brittany was awake in seconds.

"Why so tired, Brittany? Stay up too late last night?" Puck asked. "Finn tells me you and hot Latina girl made a night of it out on the river."

Brittany smiled. "Yeah, it was fun." she said, half-way brushing off the comment.

Brittany ordered pizza from Breadstix for the guys. They were in Finn's camper chowing down when Brittany's VHF went off. "Short Stuff to Pretty Eyes, Come in." Artie, Finn and Puck all raised their eyebrows and looked at the blonde.

"Whaaaat?" she said, noticing their stare. She grabbed her radio and turned around to ignore them. "This is Pretty Eyes, Go to 16. over."

"Hey," Santana said.

"Hey yourself."

"I just wanted to thank you for last night. I had a great time with you." Brittany blushed as the guys looked on in a huddle, eating their pizza.

"I had a great time too, Santana. Anytime you want to see the sun rise…"

"As long as you wake up on your own again," Brittany heard her laugh coming across the walkie talkie.

"Anyway, I am headed up to Philly to pick up some things for the party," Santana added. "but I'll see you later?"

"Hopefully." Brittany replied.

The blonde sat her radio down and returned her attention to a slice of pepperoni pizza. She, again, felt the stare coming from the guys. She looked up. "Whaaaat?"  
>"Uh, nothing." They all said in unison, each grabbing another piece of pizza.<p>

"So," Brittany started. "everything ready for tomorrow?"


	7. Chapter 7

"Brittany, did you and Puck get another picnic table down to the dock?" Finn asked his sister.

"Yes we did. Did you pick up ice from the store?"

"I did." Finn looked at Artie. "You cleaned out all of the coolers, right?"

Artie nodded assuringly. "Affirmative."

It was a little after three and Brittany and the guys, along with everyone else on the dock, were getting things ready for the evening. Like every year, everyone always helped out, but it was their party so everything had to be just right.

"Puck, you got the crabs?" Finn asked.

"Yep, picked them up from Burt this morning."

Sue and her friend walked passed the foursome. "Good afternoon." Sue greeted them. "Everything ready for tonight?"

"Yes ma'am." Puck replied.

"Yeah and we cleaned out the beer bong so it's all ready to go for ya, Miss Sylvester." Brittany teased.

Sue stifled a laugh. "Well, I made some potato salad for you guys." She held the dish up proudly. "Can I just put it in the refrigerator down on the dock?"

"Sure thing." Finn said.

"Thank you!" Brittany called as the duo were walking away.

"So," Finn said, turning to his sister. "You got the lights up?"

"Yep! And Steph cleaned up the poker room. Oh, and Santana's at the store picking up the kegs."

"_Pathfinder_ ready to go?"

"Yes!" Brittany and Artie said in unison.

"Well, looks like everything is set. It's going to be a good Fourth." Finn said, sitting down. "Now who wants a beer?"

* * *

><p>Santana was at the store picking up the kegs. "Alrighty, that'll be $167.33, please." The cashier looked at the two kegs and back to the brunette. "That's a lot of beer you got there. Big party tonight?"<p>

"Oh yeah, and there'll be a lot of angry drunks if we run out of alcohol."

Santana started counting silently on her hands who would be there. Once she ran out of fingers, she looked back at the clerk. "Ya know what, you may as well give me another one if you have it." She said with a smile, sarcastically thinking that Finn would probably need, or _**want**_, a keg all to himself.

Back at the marina, people were slowly beginning to trickle in. Brittany and the guys were at the end of the gas dock moving the picnic tables from out of the sun and under the covered slips of the Dirty Dozen. Will and Emma were walking by as they sat the last one in place.

"Gonna be a muggy one today." Emma said, carrying a fresh pan of baked beans.

"Ooh, my favorite." Brittany said, peeking under the foil and then smiling at the couple.

Just like all of their parties, the grills started coming out. People were coming down the long dock in groups, lugging bags of charcoal, ice, and coolers. Brittany unlocked the poker room and the marine store, and turned the radio on. Finn moved his boat from its slip and tied up in front of the gas dock. When it was time to go out for the fireworks, it would be right there and ready to go.

Dave brought shrimp and oysters. Kurt and Blaine showed up with catfish. Steph decided on furnishing the traditional hamburgers and hotdogs. Everyone else came with the little stuff - deviled eggs, potato salad, and such.

Mike and Tina were coming down the dock with two coolers. "Hey guys!" Tina called out.

"Hey hey!" Finn said, greeting the couple. "Whatcha got there?"

"Well, I really don't know how to cook anything, so I brought party favors!"

"Tina, why do you have party favors in a cooler?" Artie asked.

Popping the lid to the cooler up, Tina offered jello shooters. "And we have plenty to go around. Drunk people are fun."

"Daaaamn." Puck said. "There's gotta be like 500 of these suckers." He pulled one out and ate it. Satisfied, he grabbed five more. "Hey Finn, try one of these, buddy."

"Awww Tina, you're like my new best friend." Finn said, grabbing a stack of his own.

She smiled. "Whatever, I'm everyone's best friend."

Santana was making her way down the dock, trying her best to balance the three kegs on a dolly as she walked. Bump, click, bump, click. Satisfied she was getting the hang of it, she began walking a little faster. The dolly started to wobble and after struggling and fumbling with them, the top keg fell off.

_Click._

Click.

Bump.

Splash!

The top keg rolled into the water and was now bobbing right in front of Mike and Tina's boat. She looked around, hoping no one had seen. "Shit." She mumbled to herself. She put her hands on her hips and bit her bottom lip. "Okay," she muttered.

Santana grabbed a spare rope from her friend's boat and laid down on her stomach, attempting to tie one end to the handles on the keg. She reached with her body until just her legs were on the dock. "Damnit!" she yelled to no one. As she scooted another inch forward, she lost her balance, joining the keg in the water.

"Where the hell is the beer?" Finn asked.

Brittany looked at her watch and put her hands on her hips. "Santana should have been here by now, she left over an hour ago."

Just as the blonde finished her sentence, she and the others heard splashes under their feet in the water. Santana appeared from underneath the dock, floating on top of a keg. Holding on to each end clumsily and kicking her feet, she spoke to the group on the docks above.

"Hey guys." All eyes turned to the brunette.

"What happened, Santana?" Artie asked.

"Well, let's see. Clumsy here," Santana said, pointing to herself. "tried to carry two kegs on a dolly down the dock. The top one fell in and then so did I. So, now I'm here."

Everyone laughed. Santana got out of the water as Puck and Artie retrieved the keg. Brittany grabbed her a towel, but not without noticing how beautiful the brunette looked fresh out of the water.

Stephan and Sam got the other two kegs and took them down the dock. A few minutes later, everyone was enjoying crabs and beer. The girls traded recipes for the dishes they had prepared, as everyone seemed to like all of the food. It was about 7:30 when everyone started getting up from the tables, refilling their beers and breaking off into their own groups.

"It's getting late, guys. We should get out into the river early before it's swamped with boats." Finn suggested, hopping on the _Pathfinder_.

The others followed his lead, grabbing the coolers and leftovers. Mike and Artie loaded up two of the kegs as Santana helped Brittany do a head count. "Thirty-three." The brunette said to her friend.

"Alright. We have forty jackets, so we should be good." Brittany replied. "You ready?"

"You bet." Santana said with a smile.

Finn was pretty drunk, so Brittany captained her brother's beloved boat. With so many people being on board and in the cabin, she steered from the top so she could see better. Every year, the usual group always anchored out and went swimming in the creek, but the traffic on the water this year prevented them from doing so. Instead, Brittany and the others decided they would swim off of the gas dock later when they returned from the fireworks.

Finn, Artie, Puck, Steph, Quinn, Mike, Tina, Rachel and Joe and few others scattered themselves up front on the bow. Will, Emma, Sam, Kurt, Blaine, Sue, Dave and some of their friends enjoyed a relaxed view from the deck of the stern. Brittany was steering around buoy number two when Santana climbed up on the deck to join her.

"Hey." The brunette said, holding a glass of wine in her hand.

"Hey yourself, Santana" the blonde replied, looking ahead while paying attention to the many boats on their way to see the fireworks. As she finished rounding the buoy, she opened up and went a little faster.

Santana noticed the wind blowing through Brittany's hair and how amazing the blonde looked in the evening sunlight. She scanned her eyes over her friend, admiring her slim body clothed in a tank top and short wrap tied around her waist. Santana, for some reason, found it particularly cute that Brittany was barefoot. _Not cute,_ she re-thought, _kinda sexy._

Brittany found a good spot right in front of the town pier. She turned the wheel straight and turned off the engines as Finn and Puck dropped the anchor off of the bow. A boat passed by the group, one that Sam recognized immediately. Finn shot him a look, with his eyebrows furrowed. "Is that Mercedes?" Finn mouthed silently.

Mercedes was a girl from out of town that Sam had met last summer. Even though he was with Quinn at the time, they had hit it off and eventually hooked up. Quinn had found out and, much to his surprise, wasn't that upset about it.

"Mercedes!" Sam called, his hands forming a cup around his mouth. The small boat pulled around over to the _Pathfinder_. "Sam?"

"Yeah! What are you doing in town?"

"I just came down for the weekend, to see the fireworks. You still have a boat at the marina?"

"Yes. Man, it's been a long time, Mercedes. Are you riding alone tonight?"

"I am," she flashed Sam a smile. He looked back at Quinn, questioning silently if he could go with Mercedes on her boat. Steph smiled as she nodded an 'okay' to him. He hopped onto the other boat and the two drifted off away from the rest of the group.

It had not been long since Quinn and Sam had decided to see other people. They had not been happy or getting along in months and Sam had finally told her of his affair with Mercedes long ago. Though they weren't 'broken up', they weren't exclusive either. Sam knew Quinn and Steph had been spending a lot of time together and he liked Steph, but he also knew that he and Santana would be leaving at the end of the summer.

Brittany and Santana sat on the top platform of the boat while the others hung out on the opposite ends below. Will and Emma snuggled up with a bottle of wine and a blanket wrapped around them. Sue had made it up to the bow with the younger group, who had broken out the beer bong. "Come on, Miss Sylvester." Artie teased, holding out the device like a bone for a puppy.

"Okay, hell! It's the Fourth of July, right?" Sue said, grabbing the tube as Puck held the funnel above her head. "Syl-ves-ter! Syl-ves-ter!" The group chanted as Santana and Brittany watched from above.

"We're definitely the _**loudest**_ boat out here." Santana said, pointing to the bow.

"Yep, that's usually how it is." the blonde replied with a laugh. "Anyway, are you having fun?"

Just then, there was a bang, signaling the fireworks had started. They both looked above them to see a huge explosion light up the sky.  
>Santana looked at Brittany and then back above. "Absolutely."<p>

The show lasted about forty-five minutes. Everyone 'oohed' and 'ahhed' at the fireworks. Brittany and Santana had stayed on top of the boat for the whole performance. The brunette watched in awe most of the time, occasionally looking over at the blonde next to her.

Right as the finale ended, Brittany went back to the wheel and started the boat. "Take up that anchor Finn, I wanna beat this traffic in!" She called from the top.

"Yeah yeah yeah, I got you sis!" He gave a thumbs up when ready.

"Now comes the best part." Brittany said to Santana as she was steering. "Look at all of the people setting off their own shows." The blonde pointed up and down the river.

"Over there is Figgins' place. That's where all the poker games are. And just to the right is Fairview Beach, oh and over there is Jacob's house. They put on the best display every year."

Santana looked around in wonderment. Fireworks were going off in at least ten different spots on the river. She looked behind her - there were more. And in between, there were families on the beach lighting sparklers, fountains, and firecrackers.

The rest of the group, the group that goes out every year, were used to all of this, so most of them were up front shooting roman candles into the water or yelling through the bull horn at the other boaters passing. "Happy Birthday, America!" Puck shouted to the passersby. Sue and Tina held Finn's legs up while he did a keg stand. But Santana, was taking it all in and Brittany noticed this. She leaned over, still turning the wheel and whispered to her over the slight wind, "Pretty cool, huh?" The brunette could only smile.

And right then, for the first time, Santana wanted to kiss Brittany. No, not the first time she wanted to kiss her, but the first time she actually _**thought **_she might. She looked her right in the eyes and didn't let go of the stare. She studied every inch of the blonde's face, looking at her lips, then back to her eyes. She brushed some of Brittany's windblown hair aside and behind her ears.

Brittany felt the intense connection. She noticed the certainty in Santana's eyes and how true her smile looked. Brittany hadn't seen that in someone in a very long time. It was then and there that the blonde knew she was falling in love with Santana.

The _Pathfinder _pulled into the marina just after eleven and everyone was still ready to party. They pulled out the leftovers and re-iced the kegs. Some went to the poker room for a few hands of blackjack and Blaine, along with Steph and Puck, brought out some of their own fireworks. The rest of the group decided to go swimming off the end of the gas dock.

Brittany, who had been lighting off bottle rockets with Artie, noticed Santana sitting alone on the end of the dock. She walked over to join the brunette. "Hey. Don't feel like swimming?" Brittany asked her friend.

"No, I'm going to in a bit. I'm just thinking."

"You've been thinking a lot here lately. Anything I can help with? She offered with a smile.

"I'm just taking all of this in."

"All of what?"

"This. Lima Point. The people. You…" Santana's voice trailed off.

Brittany nodded, remembering the other night on the beach. She took Santana's hand into her own, pulling her up. "Come on, I want to show you something."

Brittany led Santana down the gas dock to where her skiff was docked. The tide was going out, so it set very low from the pier. Brittany jumped in and helped the Latina down. She started the motor and pulled underneath the gas dock. A few minutes later, they were in the creek. The blonde found a good spot to stop and turned off the motor.

The air was warm and breezy, the moonlit water was still and glassy. There were two seats on the skiff, Brittany took the one in the back and faced Santana, who was sitting on the other. They sat across from each other with their knees inches apart.

"Every year on the Fourth of July, I come here." Brittany started. "It's nothing great, or out of the ordinary, but I've always come here by myself," She took Santana's hand. "and this year, I just thought I'd share it with you."

The brunette looked over into the water, shaking her head to herself. "Brittany, you are amazing. I don't know what it is about you that gets to me. The air, the water, tonight - I've been places like this before, but it feels different with you. Every day I know you, I feel like I know myself a little more," She looked at the blonde. "It just feels amazing."  
>"I know," Brittany stared back with a soft smile. "It really does."<p>

Brittany pulled a box out of her jacket pocket. "You're probably going to think I am the hugest dork for liking these, but I brought some sparklers to light. I usually only bring one, but..."

Santana finished her sentence. "…this year you brought two?"

"Where are Brittany and Santana? They can't miss this, Puck!" Finn said.  
>"Don't worry dude, I have plenty for when they come back." Everyone was standing round, waiting for the guys to start lighting the fireworks.<p>

Brittany lit two sparklers and handed one to the girl in front of her. They played 'on-guard' with them and swirled them, making shapes in the air. Just as Brittany's was ready to go out, she drew a heart that trailed in Santana's eyes for a few seconds. The brunette smiled as her heart grew warm.

Santana put herself on the edge on her bench, scooting in closer to Brittany. She looked into the blonde's eyes, slowly brushing a piece of Brittany's hair behind her ear. Unlike the other times, when she had said something or cracked a joke, Santana Lopez didn't say anything. She didn't move her hand either. Instead, she kept it there, on the back of her neck. Slowly, she moved her face to Brittany's, still looking into the blonde's eyes.

Their foreheads touched, then their noses. Santana pulled away just enough to see the blonde's face. She smiled nervously and closed her eyes as she met her lips with Brittany's. The kiss was meaningful, borderline passionate. It was semi-aggressive, yet was soft and slow. At that moment, Santana knew this was what it felt like to love someone, to love every part of them without wondering why. The brunette breathed in sharply as she kissed the blonde. She slowly pulled away, but not too far, as she kept her face near Brittany's.

"I - I love you, Brittany." Santana whispered with a nervous, shaky breath. "It's all so crazy, but I just…love you."

Just then, the sky above them lit up with fireworks that the group back at the dock had set off. Neither of them looked up to see. They sat in the boat, eyeing each other under the reflection of the light from the fireworks.

Brittany smiled softly. "Santana," She shook her head slightly and blinked her eyes. "I love you too."

It was in this moment that the blonde realized she was in love with the girl in front of her. Brittany had always worried that she may never meet anyone that would make her heart feel like this. She never had boyfriends and girls who like girls just aren't easy to find in Lima Point. And now, at twenty-five, she had found Santana. Her heart, right now, felt like it was going to explode with the amount of feelings going on inside of her.

She brushed the back of her hand against Santana's cheek. "What do you say we get back to the others?"

"Alright." the brunette said with a content smile.

They made the short trip back to the marina, but this time Santana sat on the back bench with Brittany. The two girls held hands as the blonde steered the boat from behind.

Puck and the guys were still shooting fireworks when they got back. Brittany decided to dock her skiff in front of the gas dock rather than at the end. She tied up to the ladder and she and Santana climbed up.

"Hey! Where have you guys been?" Tina asked the girls, clutching a cup of beer in her hand. "You're missing it, dumbasses!"

"Ahhh, we have plenty left." Puck shouted, grabbing another beer.

"We were just over in the creek. We saw some of it on the way back." Brittany replied, looking over at Santana.

"Don't worry, sis. It's only the beginning! You just wait till later on, right Steph?"

"Yeah man!"

Mercedes pulled up to the dock in her boat and she and Sam joined the group. Sam introduced her to everyone as the two grabbed a beer. Brittany and Santana were getting the low down from Puck about the fireworks he was about to shoot. Out of the blue, without hesitation, Santana grabbed Brittany's hand with her own, lacing their fingers together. The blonde looked over at Santana to find her surprisingly paying very close attention to Puck's banter. The brunette gave Brittany's hand a soft squeeze of reassurance.

"Hey Santana, watch this." Puck got a pack of firecrackers out. He lit the fuse and tossed them over by Finn's feet.

_Pop pop pop pop pop pop pop!_

Everyone's attention turned to Finn jumping around the cracks.

"Damnit, Puck! You made me spill my beer!"

Everyone giggled and returned to their conversations.

Since Brittany was done driving for the night, she decided to have some wine. Still holding Brittany's hand, she went into the marine store and grabbed a bottle from the refrigerator.

"Have a glass with me?" she asked the brunette.

"Sure." Santana nodded with a smile, tucking her hands in her back pockets.

The girls heard running feet coming down the dock. Steph, Finn, Artie, Quinn, Tina, Sue, and Emma ran by the door. "Woooo hoooooo!" they called as the jumped into the water. Brittany and Santana stuck their heads out of the door and looked to the right where the end of the dock was. "They're nuts!" Brittany said.

"Alright guys, get back up here. I'm getting ready to light a balloon." Puck called from the dock as he cut a piece of fuse.

"Hoooo ooooh boy, this is gonna be rich!" Finn said, climbing up the ladder.

Santana looked at Brittany with questioning eyes. "What does he mean, he's gonna light a balloon?"

Brittany put her arm around the brunette's shoulder and smiled. "You'll see."

Finn cut in. "Every year for the Fourth, after Puck's personal fireworks display, he fills up a balloon with oxygen and acetylene and lights it. It doesn't seem like much, but it is a traditional, and LOUD, addition to his show."

Puck tied up the balloon at the left end of the gas dock while the others stayed back by the marine store.

"This is probably the loudest thing you will ever hear, so you might want to cover your ears." Brittany suggested to Santana.

"Really? That little balloon is gonna be loud?"

"Oohhhhhh, yeah." Everyone said in unison.

Puck lit the fuse and ran back to join the others. Everyone looked on with their ears plugged, awaiting the explosion.

"BOOOOOOOOOOM!"

The glass in the window of the ship store broke from the sound. Santana's eyes were wide in shock. Brittany smiled as she sipped her wine non-chalantly. "It's okay, we have to replace that window every year."

Another balloon was lit. The dock shook a little as everyone cheered on.

Slowly, the crowd began to die down. People headed home or went to camp out on their boats. Will and Emma took care of putting way all of the food and Artie took the trash cans with him to the yard. After awhile, the only people left were Brittany and Santana, Steph and Quinn, and Mercedes and Sam. They all sat down on the end of the dock, feet dangling off the edge.

**"Say, my love, I came to you with best intentions  
>You laid down and gave to me just what I'm seeking<br>Say, love, you drive me to distraction**

**Celebrate we will**  
><strong>'Cause life is short but sweet for certain<strong>  
><strong>We climb on two by two<strong>  
><strong>To be sure these days continue<strong>  
><strong>Things we cannot change…"<strong>

Santana listened to the music and thought of the night. Quinn, who had been with Sam was sitting with Steph, her ex-boyfriend. Sam, who was Quinn's kinda something-but-not-really-anymore, was cozy with Mercedes. And she, who had come to this marina with Steph, was sitting next to Brittany.

**"Celebrate we will, you and me  
>Climb on two by two,<br>to be sure these days continue  
>Things we cannot change…"<strong>

All of them looked at each other in amazement, wondering how they had gotten there - 'there' meaning with one another. Santana looked at Brittany, who had already been eyeing the brunette. She took Brittany's hand in her own and rested her head on the blonde's shoulder. Yes, this was right to Santana. It was the best 4th of July she had ever spent with anyone. It was a perfect moment with the perfect person. It was love on the water...


	8. Chapter 8

The week that followed the Fourth was different for everyone. Brittany spent most of her nights at the marina with Santana, rather than at home. Santana would wake her in the mornings so she could pick Puckerman up for work. They slept on Brittany's boat, while Stephan and Quinn shared the one they had come in. Sam and Mercedes made regular day trips up and down the river to visit one another. It was definitely different in, a good way, for everyone.

That Friday, Brittany was preparing for her and Finn's drive to Baltimore. They were making their annual trip north to pick up lumber and plywood for the woodworking they did in the fall and winter months. Brittany had told the brunette of the trip a few days before.

_"Ooh, I forgot to tell you, I'm going to Maryland this weekend with Finn." Brittany said as she stood by the stove, stirring the spaghetti sauce._

_Santana, who had been draining noodles in the sink, looked over quickly with a pout. "All weekend?"_

_"Yeah. But, it will go by quickly," the blonde replied, giving Santana a little reassurance._

_The brunette forced a soft smile and wrapped her arms around Brittany. "Well, that's not fair."_

_Brittany played with Santana's hair as they hugged. "Oh, it'll be okay," she teased._

Brittany was guiding Finn with her hands as he was backing the truck up to his trailer. "A little more, little more! Okay, stop!" she said, holding up a fist. Finn got out of the truck and helped his sister secure the hitch.

"I think we're all set." Brittany said.

"Did you grab chains and all that good stuff?" he asked.

"I did. And I grabbed you some beer too," she said with a smile.

"Ahh, you are a good American, sis." he said excitedly.

Brittany saw Santana walking down the dock and into the yard, where the truck was parked. "Hey you."

"Hey yourself" Brittany smiled at the brunette, then looked at Finn, silently asking him to give them a minute.

"So, it looks like you guys are all set to go," the Latina said.

"Yeah, pretty much."

Santana had her hands behind her back and she was looking down at the ground. "Brittany, can I ask you something?"

"Of course, anything." The blonde cocked her head to the side with a smile to look at the girl in front of her.

"Okay, well this may seem a bit silly, but I was just wondering. Are we like, girlfriends?" Santana looked up and met Brittany's eyes.

The blonde didn't know what to say. "Umm," she smiled. She was suddenly very nervous. "Do you want us to be?"

"Yes, I do." Santana stepped in closer to Brittany. She momentarily threw all of her thoughts of Chicago and her life there out of the window. "I want to be with you. I never really wanted to **be** with anyone, until I met you."

Brittany smiled and held a finger up to her head, pretending to be thinking. "Okay, well then I guess we can be girlfriends," she teased, then hugged Santana.

"I'm gonna miss you," the brunette broke the silence.

Brittany pulled away from the hug and brushed a piece of the Santana's hair from her face. "Me too." Brittany kissed her on her forehead. Finn was in the truck, looking at the exchange between the two girls. He smiled to himself, trying to remember when he had ever seen his sister this happy.

"I made you this, for the ride." Santana said, handing the blonde a mixed CD with a picture of them taken from the Fourth on the cover. "I hope you like it."

Brittany flipped the cd over and looked at the song list, recognizing a couple of the titles. She smiled. "Thank you."

"Well, they - you know the songs - they remind me of you."

The blonde tapped the cd on the tips of her fingers and cocked her head a little to the right. "I love you, Santana."

The brunette beamed with a smile. "I love you too." She stood on her tippy toes and kissed Brittany on the cheek.

"You better get going, Finn is waiting and the sooner you leave, the sooner you can come back."

The Latina walked her girlfriend to her side of the truck. The blonde opened the door and climbed in. Santana shut the door for her and stepped back as Brittany and Finn began to pull off. In his rearview mirror, Finn saw the brunette still looking at the truck, waving. "It's bad, huh?"

Brittany looked out of her passenger side mirror and smiled. "Finn, you have no idea."

Just then, the radio in the truck beeped. "See you soon, Pretty Eyes," they both heard coming from the dashboard.

Brittany's smiling eyes were fixed on the radio. Finn looked at his sister and smacked her on the leg. She snapped out of it and picked up the handset.

"Yes you will - see you in a few days." she finished with a giggle. Brittany put down the handset and popped in the CD that Santana had made for her.

**"Love, be still  
>Love, be sweet,<br>don't you dare, change a thing.  
>I want to photograph you with my mind.<br>Stay how I feel, now and all the time..."**

Brittany rolled down her window, sat back, and let the breeze blow through her hair. With a wide smile, she closed her eyes and listened to the music.

**"Say that we'll stay  
>forever this way..."<strong>

Santana was sitting on the bow of Brittany's boat, staring off into the water, when Stephan walked by. "Hey San," he said from the finger pier beside the boat.

The brunette looked over and never offered a smile. "Hey."

Stephan picked up on the Latina's unusual sadness. "Can I come aboard?"

She nodded. He walked up to the front of the boat and sat down beside her. "Why the long face?"

Santana smiled. "Not a long face, just thinking." she said, looking down.

"About?"

"A lot of things. Brittany...here...Chicago...here."

"You don't want to leave, but know we have to?"

"Yeah…" she replied, looking at her friend. He took her hand.

"Steph, I love her." Santana let a rare tear escape her eye. "I mean, I really love her. She's a girl and I don't care. I know I have to go back to Chicago, and I don't care. She makes me want to throw all caution aside. And you know, I know it is going to get more intense than it already is."

Stephan looked at the girl next to him. "Does that scare you?"

"Surprisingly, not at all."

"I'm here for you, hon. We'll figure it out, okay?" He put his arm around the brunette.

She leaned on his shoulder. "Okay."

Brittany and Finn had made it to Baltimore just before eight. The next morning, they woke up, checked out, and made their way to Land n' Sea, the marine supply store they got their wood from every year. A little past five in the evening, they had their trailer loaded and were on their way to Annapolis.

Track number ten of Santana's CD started to play as Brittany drove.

**"I envy the wind  
>that whispers in your ear<br>that calls through the winter  
>that freezes your fingers<br>that moves on your hair  
>that cracks your lips<br>that chills you to bone  
>I envy the wind..."<strong>

Finn looked over at his sister, who was singing the words she had memorized on the way up the night before, just like every song on the CD. She was smiling, she was beaming, and she was happy. He knew she was missing Santana. "You know, Brit, we can go back tonight if you want."

Every year, after they picked up lumber from Baltimore, the two always went to Annapolis for dinner at Hooper's Crab Shack. Finn always got the steamed crabs and Brittany always had the shrimp. It was their tradition.

"Is it that obvious?" she asked her brother.

Finn smiled. "No, not at all." They both laughed.

"You don't care? I mean, we always go to-"

"Brittany Pierce, I haven't seen you like this happy in, well…never." Finn was, for once in his life, being serious. "I got beer," He patted his cooler. "so I am fine." They both laughed and finally he ordered her. "Let's go home."

**"I envy the rain  
>that falls on your face<br>that wets your eyelashes  
>that dampens your skin<br>that touches your tongue  
>that soaks through your shirt<br>that drips down your back  
>I envy the rain..."<strong>

Brittany picked up her cell and dialed Santana's number.

"Hello?"

"Hey! How's Maryland?"

"Good, good. Got all the stuff, on our way back." Brittany looked at her brother and he nodded with a smile.

"You are?" she heard from the other end.

"Yep, we should be back in about three hours." The blonde replied, looking at the dashboard clock.

"So I'm going to see you tonight?"

"Yes."

Santana's face was smiling. "Did…did you like the cd?"

"Oh Santana, I loved it. I'm listening to it now."

The brunette heard her favorite song in the background.

**"I envy the sun  
>that brightens your summer<br>that warms your body  
>that pulls you here<br>that makes your days longer  
>that makes you hot<br>that makes you sweat  
>I envy the sun..."<strong>

"So, I'll see you in a bit, okay?" Brittany said over the phone.

"Yay! Oh, hey, I'll be on your boat. Sam's out of town and Quinn and Steph are-"

"Santana, it's okay," Brittany cut her off. …and I wouldn't have it any other way."

The brunette smiled through the phone. "Alright, see you in a bit."

"You bet. See you tonight."

With that, Brittany hung up her phone and continued to drive, pulling onto 95 South, back towards Lima Point. She turned the music up and sang along.

**"I envy the wind  
>I envy the rain<br>I envy the sun  
>I envy the wind…"<strong>

Brittany and Finn got in just before nine. Traffic had been bad and they had stopped off right before the state line to grab a bite to eat. Pulling into the marina, they heard some commotion coming from the end of the gas dock. Finn looked at his sister. "Woooo hooo, partayyy!" he said as they ventured down the dock. It was Saturday night after all, why wouldn't there be something going on?

The siblings reached the end of the gas dock to find Artie, Mike, Puck, Tina, Steph, and Quinn swimming in the water below. Will and Emma, as well as Sue, were on the dock sitting in lounge chairs.

"Finn! Brit! You guys came back early!" Artie called from the water.

"Yeah, you know we're addicted to this place." Finn stifled a laugh as he grabbed a beer from the cooler.

"Come on in, guys. The water feels great tonight!" Puck called.

Finn stripped down to his boxers and joined the rest of the gang. Just then, Sam and Mercedes Brittany, hand in hand, and jumped in the water.

_Splash!_

"You coming in sis?" Finn asked.

"Maybe in a minute." She said, grabbing a beer and taking a seat in one of the deck chairs.

"Oh hey, Brittany!" Tina called from way out in the water. "Santana's down on your boat. She told me to tell you to make your way down there when you got back."

"Oh, Thanks Tina!"

"Yeah, no problem!" she called again, smiling as she watched Brittany begin to walk down the long dock towards her boat. A few hours earlier, Santana had found Tina on her boat.

_"Tina!" Santana called as she was running down the dock._

_The younger girl stepped off her boat. "Dude, what's wrong? Is everything okay?"_

_"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, see Brittany is coming home early." The Latina checked her watch. "She'll be here in a few hours and I wanted to do something, you know, cute for her." She motioned with her hands._

_Tina noticed her friend's childish demeanor. "Well, what do you need __**me**__ for?" She asked._

_Santana didn't have an answer. "Well, I don't know!" She threw her hands up in the air._

_"Wait, so are you like, gay, now?" Tina jokingly asked. Santana didn't respond. "Cause you and Blondie are hot together!"_

_"Tina, I need you to be serious right now."_

_"Just saying. Hot."_

_"Please."_

_"Okay, okay, okay, how about cooking her dinner?" She asked her friend._

_Again, Santana checked the time. "It's late, she'll probably have already eaten."_

_But after a few beers and some props thanks to her best friend, Santana's plan was set._

Brittany slowly walked down the dock, taking a few sips of her beer long the way. She turned left at D dock, with the Latina on her mind.

_"Alright, lady. What's the secret behind the name of your boat?" Brittany asked._

_Santana smiled and nodded to herself. "Okay, Esses for my Fingers" is just this thing I've always had. Five reasons, one for each finger, why your life should be loved no matter how it's thrown at you."_

She kept walking, taking in the moonlight that lit the water.

_"Favorite movie?" Brittany asked._

_"Cabaret. You?"_

_"What Dreams May Come. Favorite color?"_

_"Red. First Kiss?_

_"Ok, Losing a love or never loving at all?"_

_"Losing. Summer or Winter?"_

_"Summer. Spring or Fall?_

_"Fall. Rather own a boat or a car?"_

_"Ha! Boat, definitely."_

_"Me too."_

She rounded to E dock, looking down at her feet as she walked. So much had happened in the two months she had known Santana. How had it come so far, so quickly?

_"Nice boat you have here." Santana said, awing Brittany's sailboat. "We're sailing tonight?"_

_"Yep." the blonde replied, putting her sunglasses on her head. "Know how to sail?"_

_"A little."_

_"The water's really calm and there's a nice wind out this evening, so we should be okay. This is my first time driving one of these things, so hopefully you can help me." Brittany said, smiling at the brunette._

_Santana's face became a little worried. "I'm just kidding! I've been sailing this boat since I was a little girl. No worries, my friend. No worries."_

Brittany finally reached her boat. As she stepped aboard, she heard music playing from the cabin below.

**"It's late in the evening  
>She's wondering what clothes to wear<br>She puts on her makeup  
>and brushes her long blonde hair…"<strong>

She stepped down into the boat. She smiled giggly as she looked around. There were candles, tall and short, lit everywhere - on the table, on the floor and on the counter. Red and yellow rose petals covered the floor of the cabin, as well as the bed and nightstand. There was a bottle of wine, along with two glasses and a note lying on the bed with her name on it. Brittany picked up the piece of paper.

**"We go to a party  
>And everyone turns to see<br>this beautiful lady  
>walking around with me…"<strong>

She read the note.

_Brittany,_

_Grab the wine and meet me outside. I'm on the bow. See you in a few. _

_Love,  
>Santana<em>

She closed the note and sat down on the bed, looking around to take in the moment. Smiling, she picked up the bottle and two glasses, headed out the side door and walked to the bow.

Santana was standing at the very tip of the bow, looking out into the water. Her back was facing the blonde. Brittany quietly set down the wine and glasses on the deck next to a few candles that were lit and slowly walked towards her girlfriend. She wrapped her arms around her girlfriend's waist from behind. The brunette, in turn, placed her hands over Brittany's, whispering a single "Hey."

Santana turned around to face her girlfriend, now leaning against the railing. She took Brittany's hand into her own and glanced up. She admired how beautiful the blonde looked in the moonlight. _Note to self: Do things like this more often._

She placed her arms around Brittany's waist and pulled her closer. The blonde responded by wrapping her arms around her girlfriend's neck.

**"And I feel wonderful  
>because I see the love light in your eyes<br>And the wonder of it all  
>is that you just don't realize<br>how much I love you…"**

They danced slowly, never breaking eye contact. Brittany brushed a few stands of windblown hair from Santana's eyes. The Latina smiled as her eyes began to tear up. Brittany did the same. Neither of them said anything, instead they hugged as they danced. What they felt for each other didn't need to be said. They both already knew.

**"It's time to go home now  
>and I've got an aching head<br>So I give her the car keys  
>and she helps me to bed<br>And then I tell her  
>as I turn out the light<br>I saw my darling, you are  
>wonderful tonight…"<strong>

Santana pulled back from the hug and kissed Brittany on the cheek and then sang softly into the blonde's ear.

**"Oh my darling, you are wonderful tonight…"  
><strong>  
>They continued to sway until the song was over.<br>"Hey, why don't we sit down and relax?" Santana said, still in Brittany's embrace from the dance. "I'm sure you're exhausted from the drive."  
>She led the blonde to the top platform of the boat. Just hours before, she and Tina had been up there, getting things ready for Brittany's return.<p>

_"Oh man, Tina. You're a genius!" Santana said, hugging her friend. "Thanks so much!"_

_"No problem, but don't hug me. I don't hug, you know that." Tina replied in her sarcastic voice, adjusting the tripod on the telescope. "Now, you just look through that thingy…" she pointed at the eye piece. "…and you should see things."_

_Santana laughed at her friend's lack of knowledge about the telescope. "I think I can figure it out."_

_In fact, she could. One of her many loves was studying the sky. _

_Tina checked her watch. "I have to go, girl. Mike and I have to meet Sam and Mercedes for dinner, uh, about five minutes go."_

_"Okay, you go. Thank you so much again, Tina."_

_"No prob, best friend," she said as she stepped off the boat. "Anything to score you some sexy time!"_

Once again, Britttany's breath was taken away. Santana looked at her girlfriend and smiled as she saw her reaction. "Santana, this is…amazing." On the top platform of the boat, there was a blanket spread out in the center, with rose petals covering parts of it. There were candles scattered around the blanket and on the edges of the platform. Brittany could still hear the music from the bow below. "Too much?" Santana asked.

Brittany smiled. "No. It's perfect."

The blonde sat down on the blanket as Santana retrieved a single rose from underneath her pillow. She had cut the stem short, in the same fashion as a boutonnière. Kneeling down, she met eyes with Brittany.

"In some places," Santana stated matter-of-factly. "if a girl wears a flower behind her right ear, it means she's single." The brunette tucked a lock of Brittany's hair behind her ears before meeting eyes with her once again. She continued. "and if they wear it behind the other, it means they are taken." Santana placed the flower behind her girlfriend's left ear, patting it afterwards, making sure it was in its place. Brittany stared at the woman in front of her, intense with her smile.

"What?" Santana asked.

Brittany shook her head. "Nothing, just really happy."

Santana's half-way concerned look turned quickly to a smile as she joined Brittany on the blanket. "Me too."

At the other end of the dock, Finn and the others were still doing their weekly Saturday night partying. The guys were in the poker room, downing beers and playing blackjack. Mike, Kurt and Blaine had left on _Queen Bee_ a few minutes earlier to see the bluegrass band play at Joe's on the water. And the rest of the girls - Tina, Quinn, Sue, Mercedes, and Emma, were hanging out on Quinn's boat. Tina was mixing a round of margaritas when she noticed the candlelight coming from Brittany's boat across the water. She smiled to herself. She poured drinks for everyone and disappeared into her cabin. A few minutes later she returned with her binoculars.

Quinn took a sip of her margarita when she noticed what her friend was up to. "What are you _**doing**_, Tina?"

"Nothing. I just want to see how it's going over there."

"You can't just spy on them like that!"

"Oh shut up Quinn!" Tina teased and brushed her out of the way. She brought the specs up to her eyes. "Oh Santana, niiice."

* * *

><p>"And that is Orion." Santana showed Brittany the constellation through the telescope. "You're an Aries, right?" she asked the blonde.<p>

"I am," she said with a dimpled smile.

Santana shifted the telescope and got her constellation in view. "There you are, take a look."

"That's pretty cool. You seem to know a lot about the sky." she said, still looking through the eye piece.

"Well, I should. It is my fourth 'S'," Santana said nonchalantly.

"The sky?" Brittany asked, turning to her with a soft smile.

"Yes." There was an intense stare that Santana suddenly couldn't comprehend. She broke the silence. "Anyway, Aries, it's the second smallest constellation in the sky. Pretty cool, huh?"

"Yeah. Hey, show me yours!" Brittany asked excitedly.

"My what?"

"Your constellation, silly!"

"Oh, well you can't see it because it's not in the summer sky. Have to wait until October or so."

"Oh. Well, that's no fun." The blonde looked up again into the sky. "Santana?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for tonight," she said as she looked down to Santana, cupping her hand around her cheek.

"The brunette felt a soft smile coming to her face. She took Brittany's hand into her own. "Any time."

* * *

><p>"What's niiice?" Quinn asked Tina.<p>

"Don't worry about it, you don't want to see anyway, rememberrr?"

"What are you guys doing?" Emma said, coming from the deck with the other girls in tow.

"Well, Tina here is spying on Brittany and Santana across the way." She pointed across to where Brittany's boat was docked.

"I'm not **spying**. I'm her friend and I'm just checking up, ya know?"

Emma grabbed the binoculars from the brunette. "Let me see!" She looked. "Wow."

"Yeah, right?" Tina agreed.

"Are they getting all hot and heavy out there?" Mercedes asked.

"You guys stop that!" Sue snatched the specs from Emma. "You ladies need to go get yourselves some drinks and mind your own business. Give them some privacy."

The other four took Sue seriously for all of three seconds and then started laughing. Mercedes grabbed the binoculars from behind her back. "Let me see those damn things." She looked across the way. "Go Santana!"

Quinn's curiosity got the best of her. "Alright, let me see."

She looked to see the two girls across the way. She saw the candles and the flowers...and Santana lean in. "Whoa, they're kissing, guys! There's kissing!" Quinn motioned for Tina to look again.

"Of course they're kissing, they love each other!"

"Oooh, okay, I wanna see. Give me those things!" Sue finally said, reaching for the specs.

* * *

><p>Santana pulled away from the kiss and took Brittany's hand. "Let's go inside." The girls went into the cabin. The candles were still lit and the music was still playing. Santana, who was walking in front of her girlfriend, quickly turned around.<p>

"Brittany," she started, taking her girlfriend's hand. "These feelings I have for you…I don't know where they came from."  
>The blonde listened as she talked.<p>

"It's overwhelming, really. How I feel, what I feel." She brushed the back of her free hand against Brittany's cheek. "But as scary and deep and complicated as this is about to become, this is where I want to be."

"**I've got an angel  
>She doesn't wear any wings<br>She wears a heart that can melt my own  
>She wears a smile that can make me wanna sing…"<br>**  
>Both girls had tears in their eyes, though the candlelight hid it pretty well. "Santana, I-" Whatever Brittany was going to say would have to wait. Santana met her lips with the blonde's, softly and slowly, they kissed. Brittany back-stepped toward the bed, pulling Santana with her. The kiss never broke and remained soft and tender as she pulled her girlfriend slowly on top of her.<p>

**"She gives me presents  
>With her presence alone<br>She gives me everything I could wish for  
>She gives me kisses on the lips just for coming home"<strong>

Santana broke the kiss, pulling back a few inches, still straddling Brittany's waist. She took in the moment and the blonde's beauty in the candlelight. She ran her fingers down her girlfriend's face and cocked her head a little, smiling. "You're pretty."  
><strong><br>"She could make angels  
>I've seen it with my own eyes<br>You gotta be careful when you've got good love  
>Cause the angels will just keep on multiplying…"<strong>

Brittany wrapped her arms around Santana's neck. "You're pretty too." She said, smiling, as she pulled Santana in softly for another kiss. This one grew passionate as the two girls experience for the first time what it was like to want another madly.

**"Just one smile can change all of mine  
>We share the same soul<br>Oh oh oh oh oh ohhh…"  
><strong>  
>And as Santana was removing Brittany's shirt, her thoughts went astray for just a few seconds. <em>Note to self: Do <em>_**this**__ more often too._

**Song credits:**

**Eric Clapton - Wonderful Tonight; Lucinda Williams - I Envy the Wind; This Way –Jewel; Angel – Jack Johnson**


	9. Chapter 9

It was Thursday and the boaters at the Lima Point Marina were preparing for the annual yacht club trip to Point Lookout. Of all the trips the yacht club planned, this one always had the best turn out. And why wouldn't it be? It was, by far, the coolest place on the river. Unlike most marinas, the docks of Point Lookout sat a hundred yards out from land. Every weekend, boaters from all over the river come and tied up to the island dock. It was party central on the water.

Brittany and the guys had been busy that week hauling people's boats, painting, and sanding them to get ready for the big weekend. After work, they worked on getting their own boats ready. Instead of all of them taking one boat, every year they took their own to Point Lookout, the more boats there were, the bigger the party. And, since it was a 4-day weekend trip, some came back earlier or later depending on their work schedules and such.

Santana was helping Brittany clean the sails on her boat. "So, I was thinking. Since Sam is going with Mercedes, and Steph's going with Quinn, I'm going to have to take my boat alone."

"Yeah, I was thinking about that." Brittany said as she lowered the rear sail. "You don't have to take your boat, but it's just tradition that you do."

"I know, I know. And I want to be a part of this tradition, starting this year, so my boat goes." The brunette smirked and gave her girlfriend a quick kiss on the cheek.

The next morning, the docks were busy with the traffic of people loading their boats for the weekend. Coolers were lugged down the docks, along with grocery bags full of enough food for the 4-day trip. Everyone was pretty excited as this was the biggest weekend for the yacht club.

An hour later, they were off to Point Lookout. Being the rear commodore of the yacht club, Brittany was responsible for booking parties and weekend trips, so this was her thing. Like every year, she led the parade of boats out of the marina, with Santana's boat to her left. Finn followed closely behind with _Pathfinder_. The rest of the group trailed in a staggered pattern. Some of the bigger boats like Kurt and Blaine's Sue's, stayed toward the outside of the group since their wakes were so big. Mike and Tina had gotten a late start, so they were in the back. As the group rounded buoy number 2, they saw the Lima Point Marina fading in the distance. Brittany looked over to Santana's boat and smiled, signaling an 'I love you' with her hand.

Four hours later, the yacht club was nearing Point Lookout. Brittany got on the VHF. "This is Lima Point Yacht Club calling Point Lookout, over."

"Point Lookout here, how ya doing there, Lima Point?"

'Very well, thanks. We're about to pull in, where are we this year?"

"Okay, sixteen boats, right?"

"Yes ma'am." Brittany confirmed, looking at a list in front of her.

"Ahh, we got the prime spots for you guys this year. You're on the lower side of the dock, spaces 15-31. Queen Bee should go in space fifteen or sixteen because of length."

"We're all together this year?" Brittany asked, surprised.

"Yes siree. The best spots for my best customers, as always. I'll meet you guys to help tie in."

"Alrighty, we'll see you in a few. Lima Point over and out."

Brittany called the other boaters. "You guys know where to go?"

"Of course, pumpkin, I know this marina like the back of my hand." Brittany heard Emma over the radio.

"We got it, Brits." Artie and Puck said.

The rest of the boaters responded over the radio as well. "Okay, and Santana and Tina, you guys just follow me."

"How was the trip?" The dirty-blonde dock attendant asked.

"It was good." Brittany said, hopping off of her boat. "The water was pretty smooth."

"Awesome. I see everyone is pretty much docked in. You guys ready for an awesome weekend?"

"Always, Terri." Brittany hugged the girl. She and the rest of the group knew everyone at Point Lookout. The same yacht clubs went there the same weekend every year. And Terri had been working there for years, so she was on a first-name basis with everyone.

"Okay, so everything is set." Terri said. "I trust you guys know where everything is."

"We do." Finn replied. "Hey thanks for the great spots this year!"

"No problem. The covered slips go fast, so I reserved these for you guys ahead of time," Terri added. "and they are the closest to the bath house and ship store, so everything you need is right here." She pointed along the way.

The rest of the group tied in and got situated, pulling out their coolers and grills. They, indeed had gotten a good setup this year. They had an entire end of the dock to themselves with eight slips on each side, across from each other. As most of the group went to see who else was on the dock for the weekend, newcomers Santana, Tina, Mike, and Steph looked around curiously.

This place is pretty cool, Brittany." Steph said, eyeing the ends of the dock.

"Yeah, it is." Tina added.

"So, we just kinda hang out here on the dock all weekend?" Mike asked.

"Oh no, no no. That over there is Point Lookout." Brittany pointed to land a few hundred yards away.

"It's a tiny island, only about a mile long and a half a mile wide. The outside of the island, on the beach, is lined with nothing but tiki bars and piers. There is a downtown area - if that's what you want to call it - in the center of the island with restaurants and clubs and an occasional shop or two. No convenience stores, no gas stations, no houses. The only people that live here are the ones that own the bars and such. They take weekly trips to get food and other things they need." Brittany filled the newbies in.

"So, what if we run out of beer?" Mike asked, halfway concerned.

"Well, I think between all of us, we have plenty. But then again, Finn is here, so we could run out." The group chuckled. "If we need more, we can buy some either at the bars or in the ship store over there. There's also a laundromat and bathhouse right around the corner."

"Okay, so how do we get to the island?" Santana questioned.

"There's a boat taxi service that comes out here every half-hour and runs all night. But between the group, we have five dinghy's, so we shouldn't need to use it."

"Very cool." Tina said with an excited nod.

Brittany gave Santana, Mike, Steph, and Tina a tour of the dock, along the way introducing them to a few regulars.

That evening, everyone was on their boats, getting ready to head to the island for dinner. Steph joined Quinn in their cabin. "You look wonderful." he said, almost whispering.

She flashed him a smile. "You don't look too bad yourself. You ready to go?" He nodded as she gave him a kiss on the cheek.

Finn and Artie came from the bathhouse with towels wrapped around their waists. "We'll be ready in ten - don't leave us!"

"We won't, we won't." Mike and Tina said, sipping on margaritas. Sue, along with Beiste and Cooter lowered their dinghies into the water. Will and Emma did the same with theirs.

Brittany and Santana emerged from Santana's boat, hand in hand. "Everyone ready?" The blonde asked.

The group did a semi-head count. Satisfied, they boarded into the dinghies. Brittany, Santana, Will, Emma and Sue were in one. Kurt, Blaine, Rachel Joe, Shannon, and Cooter were in another. Mike, Tina, Steph and Quinn took the third. Finn, Puck, Artie and Jacob took the smaller of the bunch and Mercedes and Sam took their own.

"Alright. Everyone set?" Finn asked. With nods and 'yeahs' all the way around, the group was off to the island.

* * *

><p>"Hi, welcome to the Riverboat."<p>

"We have reservations for twenty-one. It should be under Brittany." The blonde said, looking over the podium into the guest book.

"Ahh, yes." The hostess grabbed a stack of menus and led the large group onto the open deck outside. They were seated as the waitress came over. Santana and Brittany ordered a bottle of wine to share. Puck, Artie and Finn ordered a pitcher of beer to split while the older group, who was seated at the opposite end of the table, opted for mixed drinks. Sue scanned over the wine list and drink menu with a contemplating look on her face.

"Sorry Sue, they don't have a beer bong option available." Finn said with a smirk on his face. The group laughed.

"Very funny, boat boy." Sue said as she shook her head with that infamous Sylvester demeanor.

The group finished their dinner just at sunset. They hung around for a bit and listened to the band, relaxing from the ride over. "Point Lookout to Lima Point, over." Brittany grabbed the walkie talkie from her bag. Everyone in the group kept walkie talkies with them when they were on trip like this so they could meet up if they got separated from the others.

"This is Pierce, go ahead Terri."

"Hey, forgot to tell you guys this earlier, but the Wailers are playing on the island tonight at the Landing. Santana's eyes lit up and she finished off the last of her wine.

"It's on the north side of the island, on the beach." Terri added, giving Brittany directions.

"Great, thanks love! Over and out."

Brittany stuffed the walkie talkie back into her bag. "So, you guys wanna head over there?"

With an unaminous 'yes' from everyone, they paid the bill and were off.

Steph, Artie, Puck, Sam and Finn each drove a dinghy to the north side of the island while the rest of the group trekked it by foot.

Brittany and Santana walked arm in arm behind the others. "Good times?" Brittany asked the brunette, nudging her shoulder.

"You bet," her girlfriend said, unlinking their arms, taking Brittany's hand in her own.

Brittany led Santana down the tiki torch-lit path to the sandy-floored dance area of the outdoor bar and the others followed. They all got drinks from the far bar and mingled with each other as they listened to the band who was playing on a little platform by the beach. A few drinks later, everyone was ready to dance.

"Woohoo!" Puck shouted as he pulled Sue onto the dance floor. Mike and Tina followed suit, along with Finn and a transient he had met on the dock. The other couples joined the group on the floor. Will and Emma snuggled close as they danced, as did Kurt and Blaine. But it was Santana and Brittany that stole the show.

**"Stir it up,  
>little darlin',<br>stir it up..."**

Santana put her arms around Brittany's neck and moved with her girlfriend to the music. Forehead to forehead, they swayed as others looked on. The brunette pulled away from the embrace, leaving her left arm still gripping the back of her girlfriend's neck. She sang to Brittany with the music.

**"It's been a long long time  
>since I've got you on my mind<br>And now we're here stirrin' together,  
>every minute<br>Let's see what we can do honey,  
>just me and you..."<strong>

Santana spun Brittany and pulled her in close.

**"And we can stir it up  
>little darlin', stir it up...<br>and we can stir it up,  
>little darlin, stir it up..."<strong>

The dance became more touchy-feely for the girls. The brunette started a seductive dance as she kissed Brittany on the lips. The blonde obliged, deepening the kiss. Santana's hands moved from her girlfriend's neck to the sides of her body, still moving with the music. The onlookers were loving this and, for Santana and Brittany, it felt as if they had been dancing together for years and that they were the only people alive. It seemed that way to their friends who were looking on as well.

**"Quench me,  
>when I'm thirsty<br>Won't you cool me down,  
>when I'm hot..."<strong>

Santana continued singing with the music, fanning herself off to match the lyrics.

**"Your recipe my darlin',  
>is so tasty..."<strong>

Brittany, now singing to the brunette, ran her fingers over Santana's smiling lips.

**"and you can surely stir me up  
>Come on, stir it up, litlle darlin',<br>stir it up..."**

When the song was over, there was a roar of clapping. Santana and Brittany, noticing it was directed towards them, blushed and pulled each other in for a hug. "You sure danced better tonight than the first time I saw you on your boat." Brittany said, pulling back, offering a crooked laugh.

"Ha. Ha." Santana replied sarcastically with a soft smile. "Well, it must be my partner."

"Hey guys." Santana said, turning to Tina, Quinn, and Mercedes. "I have an idea."

Santana went up to the stage during the band's break and chatted with the members for a bit. She soon returned, doing her cute version of the cabbage patch on the way back to the girls.

"Okay, here's the plan..."

Brittany and Steph were at the bar getting another round of drinks for everyone when the band took the stage again.

"Hiya folks!" the singer said into the microphone with a Jamaican accent. "How we doin' tonight?" There was a roar of clapping and applause from the crowd in front of them.

"Ok, mon - seems that we have a few singers out there tonight. This is a special request, going out to Lima Point."

Brittany and Steph joined the rest of the group, who were scattered amongst themselves by the bar. They looked on with curiosity as the band started to play.

**"Could you be loved  
>and be loved..."<strong>

Tina, Mercedes and Quinn came from behind the band, each with their own microphone in hand, singing. Sam, Mike, and Steph, who had all been standing together, were serenaded, Caribbean-style, by the trio. The rest of the group looked on in amusement. Brittany, who had been standing with Steph, was now chatting with Sue and Emma.

**"Don't let them fool you  
>or even try to school ya, oh no..."<strong>

Mercedes grinded with Sam a little, forgetting that she had to sing. Tina and Quinn sang to their guys and crowd as they swayed.

The girls continued singing.

"That kinda sounds like Santana." Brittany said to Emma and Sue about the music. "Hey, where is Santana anyway?"

"It does sound like her." Emma offered.

"I think it is her." Sue said as she noticed the brunette walking towards them through a crowd of people.

"Huh?" Brittany asked.

Sue casually pointed in the brunette's direction as she sipped on her margarita through a straw.

Brittany, who was leaning against the bar on her elbows, glanced over to where Sue had pointed and saw her girlfriend walking towards her. Before she could fully comprehend what was going on, Santana was a foot in front of her, singing for all to hear.

**"Don't let 'em fool ya  
>or even try to school ya<br>We've got a mind of our own  
>So go to hell if what you're thinking is not right<br>Love would never leave us alone  
>And in darkness they must come out to light, hey..."<strong>

Santana sang, as she placed a flower behind the blonde's ear.

The brunette leaned in and softly kissed her girlfriend on the cheek before pulling away to continue singing with the rest of the girls.

**"Could you be loved  
>and be loved..."<strong>

It was then when everything slowed down for the blonde. Time stopped, her surroundings faded. Her smiling eyes slowly grew into a look of awe and amazement as she studied her girlfriend. Brittany thought to herself. _I love this girl. I'm on this island, having the time of my life and Santana is singing with the Wailers! How fucking cool is this? Yes, I love this girl. _

Brittany flashed a soft smile as Santana continued to sing.

**"Could you be loved, and be loved..."**

Santana took the blonde's hand and pulled her towards the dance floor. Brittany, in turn, grabbed Emma's hand, who grabbed Sue's. Before it was all said and done, the entire Lima Point crew was on the dance floor, sharing the four mics the girls had, singing the rest of the song the best they could. Soon, the rest of the people in the bar joined in as well.

The next morning, most of the group woke up pretty early. The smell of eggs, bacon, and coffee filled the air along the docks. Emma and Will piled food onto plates for everyone while Mercedes brewed coffee. Kurt and Blaine sat down with everyone, setting a large jug of pre-made bloody marys on the table. "Everybody sleep well last night?" Blaine said, pouring a drink for himself.

"Like a rock." Artie replied.

"No, that would be Finn, who's still sleeping." Puck offered with a chuckle.

Sue joined the group, setting a bag of muffins on the table. "Man, I haven't boogied like that since disco." She said as she took a seat next to Artie.

"Yeah and you girls sure can sing." Emma said, looking at Santana, Mercedes, Tina, and Quinn.

Santana playfully slapped Brittany's arm with the back of her hand. "See! I told you we should start a band!" The brunette flashed her girlfriend a crooked smile just before stealing the last piece of bacon from her plate.

Tina lifted her head from the table, obviously suffering from a hangover. "Wait. We sang?"

The group looked up at the girl and around to each other, chuckling to themselves. "Yeah, you did, sweetie." Mike said, patting his fiancée on the back.


	10. Chapter 10

After finishing up breakfast, the group made thier way around the docks to catch up with other groups that were in town for the weekend. A little later in the afternoon, they took the dinghys to the east side of the island for a swim on the beach. It was a peaceful, very relaxing day for all of them. Here and there, a few people in the group made new friends along the way - some at the docks and others on the beach.

Around sunset, Brittany and Santana, Mike and Tine, Steph and Quinn, and Mercedes and Sam were finishing up dinner on the end of the docks. They had called in a couple of dozen crabs and corn and had them delivered to the end of the dock where they were staying. The rest of the group had gotten a head start on the festivities on the island. Puck, Finn and Artie had left earlier in the afternoon to catch happy hour and the others had departed in the remaining dinghys a little bit ago.

"So, what's the plan for tonight?" Sam asked.

"I dunno." Steph responded, cracking a crab leg. "I was thinking about taking Quinn out for a few drinks, just us perhaps?" he said, looking at his girlfriend.

"Yeah, maybe we could do our own thing for a little bit and then meet up later." Sam said, smiling at Mercedes. Brittany and Santana nodded in agreement with the others. A few beers and a shower later, they were off to the island.

Stepping out of the dinghy, Santana asked, "So, does everyone have their walkies?"

With nods all the way around, she said, "Okay, let's turn them on around,say, ten? That sound good with everyone?"

"Yep."

"Alright, stay on channel 9."

"Roger." Steph said, changing his channel.

Once they got into town, the four couples split up and went their separate ways. Brittany and Santana were walking down the main strip that was crowded with people, most of which they had recognized as being guests at the docks. Santana took the blonde's hand and laced thier fingers together. Brittany looked over at the brunette and smiled, squeezing her hand softly.

They walked along the streets, passing bar after bar, restaurants and clubs. The streets were lit with white Christmas lights and colored with a diverse crowd. They passed a solo guitar player who had his guitar case open for donations. Brittany pulled a few coins out of her pocket and tossed them in the case. There were a few stands here and there that sold beer and jello shooters. Just as every moment she spent with the blonde, Santana took it all in.

"I love this place," the Latina said.  
>"I thought you might." Brittany replied with a smile as they continued walking.<p>

Rachel, Kurt, Blaine and Joe were at the Riverboat with Sue, Will and Emma, enjoying the last of a very long happy hour. "Are we meeting back up with everyone tonight?" Rachel asked as she finished the rest of her beer.

"Probably so." Sue said. "We usually do our own thing on Saturday night here, in the beginning anyway. Then, we usually meet up later in the night. But with this group...oh, well you just never know what's going to happen."

Santana stopped in her tracks as Brittany kept walking.

"What's wrong, Santana?"

"Umm, nothing. Hey, that little rainbow symbol thing," Santana pointed to a sticker on the door of a bar called '1722'. "Doesn't that mean it's like a 'gay' place?"

The blonde couldn't help but smile. "Yes, it does." Then she thought about it for a minute. "Oh, wow, there's **gay** place on the island now. It must be new."

"You wanna go in?" the brunette asked with excited eyes.

Brittany smiled. "Actually, yeah - I'm kinda curious to see it."

"Ha, **you're**curious?" Santana mumbled underneath her breath, linking her arm with her girlfriend's. "Let's go."

Back at the Riverboat, everyone was, well, drunk.

"Let''s call the others on the talkie walkies!" Sue stumbled with her words.

"Walkie talkies you mean?" Rachel asked with a laugh.

"Oh, you know what I meant!" the feisty blonde said, shaking her head.

Mike and Tina walked in, noticing the foursome at the bar on the deck. "Heeeeeyyy guys!" Sue yelled from across the room waving her hand.

"Hey!" they said in unison as they joined the others. "How ya guys doing?"

"Great, happy hour's almost over, want a drink?" Sue asked.

"Hell yea!"

Sue looked at the bartender and order two more rounds for the group.

Santana and Brittany walked into '1722', hand in hand. They went straight to the bar and ordered drinks. Santana scanned the bar curiously for a few minutes, noticing women with women, men with men, women with men. The bar was small, but she noticed a bigger area designated to be the dance floor, equipped with a few pool tables and a DJ to the side. After a few more glances, her eyes locked on a pair of familiar faces.

"Uhhh..." She nudged Brittany's side without looking at her. The blonde had been talking with their bartender, but quickly averted her attention to her girlfriend.

"Hey." Brittany said, tippy toe-ing up a few inches to Santana's ear.

"Uhhh..." was all the brunette could manage as she pointed to the dance floor.

Brittany took a sip from her drink as she scanned over Santana's shoulder to the dance floor in the direction her girlfriend had been pointing.

"What the-?'

"Uh huh." Santana muttered

"Wow." Brittany said with a blank face.

"Yeah."

"Okay, so... "

"So let's go say hi." Santana looked at her girlfriend, who was in a little bit of shock. She took Brittany's arm and led her to the dance floor.

Steph and Quinn were at the Lighthouse, a small bar off of the main strip. They sat in a corner away from the drunken chaos. "So, when do you have to leave?" the blonde asked.

"In a few weeks." Steph said, looking down at the beer he clenched in his lap.

"Oh."

"Hey, how bout we not talk about this tonight." Steph asked kindly.

Quinn agreed with a half smile. "Alright."

Santana walked toward the couple on the dance floor, with Brittany very, very hesitantly in tow. "Hey guys, funny seeing you here."

Puck and Finn jerked away from each other. "Uh, oh, hey girls."

"It's okay, Finn. We've been here for awhile." Santana stated matter-of-factly.

Finn gave Puck a 'we're caught' look and responded. "I see."

Brittany took her brother aside. "Finn Pierce, what the fuck is going on?"

"Well..." he said, looking over at Puck.

"Well?" Brittany asked with an assertive demeanor.

"Well, maybe we need to talk."

"Ya **think**? No, you know what - I'm not talking to you right now," the blonde replied. "Santana," She looked at her girlfriend. "We're leaving."

The Latina said nothing, but took Brittany's offering hand in her own and followed her out of the door. On their way out of the door, they ran into Artie, who was juggling three fresh drinks in his hand.

Brittany spoke up angrily. "Oh, are you gay too, Abrams?"  
>"What, me" Artie laughed. "Britts, you know I love the ladies. I'm just here for support."<p>

"You **knew**my brother was gay before I did? You knew and you didn't tell me?" Artie began to respond, but was interrupted by the blonde. "You know what, no. Don't answer that." With Santana following her, she stormed out of the door.

Once outside, they walked away from the bar.

"Brittany, what's wrong?"

"What's wrong? Finn was in there with Puck, kissing and dancing and hugging him!"

"I saw that."

"He didn't tell me about any of it. I tell him everything! When I started my period, I told him, when I had my first beer, he was with me." Brittany was mad. "When I first knew I was in love with you, it was him I went to. He should have told me about this."

"I understand, but maybe he is deal - wait, when did you know when you were in love with me?"

Brittany managed to crack a smile. "When you put that rose in my ear, the night Finn and I came back early from Maryland." The blonde looked down and blushed, but quickly looked back up. "But that's not the point right now."

Santana thought to herself for a minute and smiled, then took a deep breath. "I love you, Brittany. Everything will be okay."

The blonde nodded with a smile, silently telling Santana she loved her too. Even finding out her brother had been hiding something so big for so long was not going to ruin her weekend.

"You and Finn will talk, alright? But, right now..." Santana didn't know what to say.

"Let's get out of here." the blonde said.

Brittany leaned in and kissed Santana softly on the cheek. "I'd like that."

Later that night...

"Ok, so I'm not going to worry about this whole Finn thing tonight. We'll talk about it sometime I guess." Brittany said to Santana as they walked through the crowded streets of Point Lookout.

The brunette linked her arm with her Brittany. "Yep, you will."

"And it's such a gorgeous night."

"Yep."

"And I'm here with you." Brittany looked up at her girlfriend.

"Yep, you are," Santana said with a smile.

"And all of our friends are here."

"Yep."

"And we came here to party."

"Yep, we did."

"So, we're gonna have fun!"

"That's the spirit, love. But you know, Brittany, you've never really needed a reason to party."

"Ha. You're funny."

"Yep…I am."

Sue and Co. were still hanging out at the Riverboat when Emma noticed the time. "Hey guys, it's after ten. Shouldn't we turn these things on now?" She said, waving her walkie talkie in the air.

"Yessss, I think that'll be jusst fine, baby doll. We neeed to hook up with the ressst of the group." Sue said, putting her arm around Rachel.

Blaine looked over at Sue and then said to Will as he drowned the last of his crown and coke. "I think tonight is going to be…one of those nights."

"Yo this is Artie, anyone there? Over."

"Abrams! My maaan. Overrr."

"Yeah, who is this? Over."

"Who do you think? It's Sue effing Sylvester, bitch!."

"Oh, Suuueeee. Yeah, I knew that. Hey, where you guys at? Over."

"Hey Artie, this is Ben. We're at the Riverboat, just leaving actually. Over."

"Alright, why don't you guys meet us in the center of town, say at…Buddy's. Over."

"Sounds good. We'll be there shortly."

"So, we're all meeting outside of Buddy's?" Quinn said into her walkie talkie.

"Yeah yeah yeah! Quinny poooo, this is Sue. Over."

"Oh hey! Ok, well, Steph and I will be there soon. And we're on channel 9. No need to keep saying 'over'."

"Oh. Okayss then, but I do what I want. And sounds good. Hey, have you guyssss seen Brittany and Santana? They're not comings over the radio."

"No, but we'll keep an eye out on the way over."

"Cool cool. See you in a bits."

"Alright, my lady. Where we headed?" Santana asked her girlfriend as they kept walking.

"I dunno. I guess we should meet up with the group and I can tell you - everyone's gonna want to go to Tiki Bob's."

"Tiki Bob's?"

"Uh huh. The infamous Tiki Bob's Cantina. We go there every year - lot's of fun, really loud…realllly crazy."

"Well, crazy can be fun. You did say you wanted to have fun tonight, right?"

"Right."

"Brittany! Santana!" Quinn yelled tipsily, running across the street with Stephan in tow.

"Hey guys!" The foursome exchanged hugs.

"I'm glad we saw you two." Quinn said as the group started walking together. "We're all meeting up at Buddy's to figure out what we're doing for the night."

"Shit, we forgot to turn our radio on." Brittany said, patting the lump in her back pocket.

"So, Tiki Bob's again this year?" the blonde asked.

"You know it, baby!" Quinn said, finishing off the rest of her drink she'd taken with her from dinner.

"Alright, so everyone's here, yeah?" Rachel asked, doing a semi-head count.

"Hey, wait. Where are Puck and Finn? And Artie?" Mike asked.

Santana noticed her girlfriend look away to avoid the question. "I think they're running a little late from dinner." she said, taking Brittany's hand into her own.

"Well, we can't go without them. This is group night!" Quinn noted.  
>"Fabray, we go to Tiki Bob's every year." Blaine said. "I think they'll both figure it out."<br>Brittany spoke up. "Yeah guys, they know we'll be there. Let's just go."

With almost everyone in agreement, the group hit a beer stand for refills and made their way to the north side of the island. Kurt and Mike led the pack while the couples followed behind. Santana gave Brittany a reassuring smile as they walked hand in hand.

"Besidesssss, guys." Sue started. "Puck and Finn know allll of the girlssss who wanna get laid are at that Tiki place. Those fools will be there.

Brittany let out a sarcastic chuckle along with the group.  
>"On second thought, maybe they won't figure it out."<p>

"Woooohoooo!" Sam yelled as he jumped into the water. _Splash!_Mike, Tina and Mercedes followed.

The group had quickly made their way to the bar and wasted no time settling in to party. Tiki Bob's was the most popular bar in town, mostly because of the 'no-holds-barred' reputation it had. The main part of the establishment was a large, screened-in porch that had three bars - one in the front, one in the back, and one in the middle. There was a stage for the nightly gigs they held as well as a dancing area.

The only light in the main room was fueled by white Christmas lights that hung on the ceiling in no particular pattern, and miscellaneous neon beer lights that hung behind the bars. The outside, waterfront deck is where most of the patrons chose to party. The were four levels to the deck, the largest being where the fourth tiki bar sat. There was an upper level on each side, with bar tables, chairs and tiki torches that fueled the soft light. From the tiki bar level, the were two sets of stairs that led to a huge lower platform that people could swim from. On the platform were lounge chairs, tables, and two girls that sold beer, one at each end.

"You guys coming in?" Mike yelled from the water.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. We'll be there in a minute!" Brittany screamed back.

"Hey, isn't it kinda dangerous for all of these drunk people to be swimming out there?" Santana asked her girlfriend as she pointed to the water.

"Lifeguards." Brittany said as she sipped her beer, pointing to the numerous girls decked out in skimpy swimming attire.

"Ahh. I see."

Back at 1722, Finn, Puck, and Artie were semi-arguing.

"Finn, we can't just **miss** Tiki Bob's this year. It's the whole reason we come here!" Puck downed the last of his drink.

"I know, man. I just…I don't want to do this whole thing with Brittany right now."

"You don't have to. I know Britt and I know she's upset, but I do know that you guys will work this out…later."

"I know."

"And you two are tight, so you guys will be fine. It's not like you killed her dog!"

"But it is, Puck," Finn chugged the rest of his beer as he continued. "You don't understand, guys. Until tonight, she knew I told her everything. She's always known me. Right now, she feels like she doesn't. She's upset."

"I'm sure she is! I would be too." Artie shot his friend a look. "But she's here to have fun, just like all of us are! Right?"

"Right?"

"I bet you she's at the bar right now, happy with Santana and everyone else. Brittany's not going to get crazy on you, not until we get home anyway."

"You're funny." Finn chuckled and then got serious. "But you're right."

"Go Emma! Go Emma! Go Emma!" The group yelled as the blonde flashed a group of guys for beads. Will looked on with his head in his hands in embarrassment.

"Emma! You're being, I don't know…crazy!"

"Yes I am baby doll, that's the fun of it! Didn't I teach you anything?"

Emma walked over to Sue. "Darling, you…" She cupped a breast with her right hand, taking a sip of her drink with the other. "…have some wonderful tits!"

Blaine saw this from afar, along with pretty much the entire group. He looked at Will. "I told you this was going to be-"

"One of those nights?" Will finished his sentence for him.

The group partied and swam. Rachel won first place in the weekly Tiki Bob's wet t-shirt contest, though she had made it very clear that Emma was not to touch her 'tits'. Santana and Brittany had earned beads with an occasional boobie flash while Artie had moved from one pretty girl to anotherFinn and Puck eventually showed up to the bar, but no words were exchanged within the group about the night's previous events. Everyone, as planned, just had fun. As things began to die down, the group decided to head back to the dock. Once there…

Finn passed out.

Puck followed.

Emma and Sue made out.

Mike and Tina went to bed.

Will, Sue, and Emma went to Sue's boat.

Kurt and Blaine went to bed.

Sue threw up.

Artie, Sam and Mercedes went down the dock for a late-night swim.

Sue passed out.

And then, there were two.

Brittany and Santana were sitting on the bow of the Latina's boat, wrapped in a blanket. The brunette was the first to speak. "Sue was **soooo**drunk tonight!"

_"Aw, come on Sue, just one little kiss…I just wanna try it!" Emma pleaded with the blonde before turning to Will. "You don't…mind or anything, do you? No, okay, I didn't think so." She hadn't waited for an answer._

"_Emma, you are being baaad!" Sue said under her breath._

"_Oh, hell! Where's one on those beer bongy thingies when you need one? This girl needs a drink!"_

"Ha! Yeah, she was - I've never seen her like that!" Brittany replied, pulling her side of the blanket into her chest. "It's a little chilly tonight."

"A little, but lots warmer than Chicago." _Oh, Santana why did you say that?_ The brunette looked down and cupped her hands between her legs, having no idea what to say next.

"Santana?"

"Yeah?"

"Why the long face?"

"I shouldn't have said that. I shouldn't have brought up Chicago."

"Why?"

"What do you mean, wh-?" Santana interrupted.

"Santana, we both knew going into this that you would be leaving at the end of the summer. Brittany looked out into the water while the brunette stared blankly at her hands. "Santana?" When no words came, Brittany improvised.

"I'll be right back." The blonde disappeared to the lower cabin, emerging minutes later setting down a stereo and popping in a CD. She sat down in front of her girlfriend, handing her a case. "I made you a copy too. You know, of the cd you made for me."

**"This year's love had better last  
>Heaven knows it's high time<br>I've been waiting on my own, too long..."  
><strong>

"Thanks."

Santana thought for a bit before she spoke. "Brittany," She took her girlfriend's hands into her own. "I," She paused. "You know how sometimes, ya know, when the wind blows a certain way, or when you see, like, the most **amazing** sunset - you know how those moments kind of, I don't know, take your breath away?"

The blonde looked up and met Santna's eyes. "Yes."

**"When you hold like you do  
>Feels so right, oh now<br>Start to forget how my heart gets torn  
>When that hurt gets thrown<br>Feeling like you cant go on..."  
><strong>

"You do that to me." The brunette looked away for a minute and the back to her girlfriend. "You take my breath away, Brittany. Sometimes I feel like I love you so much that I cannot breathe."

"Santa-"

"But I feel when I am with you, I love…and understand. Sometimes I don't know what I understand and I don't even care…I just know that I do. And I don't think I can part with that."

Santana looked at her girlfriend, slowly brushing a strand of hair from her face. "But, I have a life in Chicago. I have a house, and a car, and a job…I know I can live without those things, but how do I just leave an entire life behind? How-"

"Santana," Brittany started, cupping the brunette's cheek with her hand. "Let's…not talk about this anymore, right now."

The Latina reluctantly nodded in agreement and softly kissed Brittany on the cheek."I love you, you know. I reallly do."

Brittany flashed a soft smile. "Ditto." The blonde turned around and laid her head in Santana's lap.

**"Turning circles time again  
>Cuts like a knife, oh now<br>If you love me, got to know for sure  
>Cause it takes something more this time<br>Than sweet, sweet lies, oh now  
>Before I open my heart, losing all control<br>Every dream inside my soul..."**

And for the rest of the night, nothing was said between the two. Instead, they stayed just as they were, thinking about the incredible summer they had had together.

**"When you kiss me on that midnight street  
>Sweep me off my feet<br>Singin ain't this life so sweet..."  
><strong>

_"Wanna go swimming?" she asked the brunette._

"_Yes, that'd be nice."_

"_Ok, on the count of three. One. Two…"_

"_Wait! We're gonna jump from up here?" Santana asked with concern._

"_Yeah, why not?"_

"_Well, it's high up, that's gotta be like 25 feet at least!"_

"_Yeah. Actually it's about 30. And it's fun." Brittany took Santana's hand into her own. _

_Ready?"_

"_Alright, alright. I'll go." Santana said, trying to hide the fact that she was a little scared._

_Brittany counted "One."_

"_Two." Santana said._

"_Three!….."  
><em>

Their first date...

_"Santana, are we going to Captain John's by any chance?"_

"_Yes, we sure are." Santana looked at Brittany with a smile._

"_This is my favorite place to come over here, how did you know?"_

"_I just know these things."_

"_Have you been here before?" Brittany asked._

"_Nope."_

"_Oh Santana, you'll love it." the blonde said, grabbing her arm. "They have a reg-"_

"_Reggae band, every night?"  
><em>

Santana's first's sunrise...

_"This is pretty cool, isn't it?" Santana asked._

"_Yes, it is. The sun should be coming up soon, right over there I think." the blonde replied, pointing a little to the right of the brunette._

_Santana stole a glance of Brittany as the blonde was still looking for the sun.  
><em>

A tear escaped Santana's eye as she thought about their summer. She looked up aimlessly and shook her head with sadness. Then she let out a small laugh.

_"Santana, take this." Finn said, handing her the glass of water. "I'm gonna turn this siren on. When I do, throw that water on her face."_

"_What?" the brunette replied. _

"_Throw the water on her face" Artie added._

"_I can't do that, she'll get mad at me!"_

"_It's the only way she wakes up. Trust us."_

**"This year's love had better last  
>This year's love had better last<br>'Cause who's to worry if our hearts get torn  
>When the hurt gets thrown<br>Dontcha know this life goes  
>Won't you kiss me on that midnight street<br>Sweep me off my feet  
>Singing aint this life so sweet..."<strong>

"Hey." Santana said, nudging her girlfriend a little.

"Mmm hmm?" Brittany semi-responded with a mumble.

"I'm **not **waking you in the morning."

Both girls let out a small chuckle and Brittany added, "I'm not that bad."

"Uh huh."

Brittany nudged herself closer to the brunette, hugging her waist. "Love you Santana."

The brunette slid down a bit to get comfy for the night, finally settling on her back. "Love you too, Brittany. So much."

**"This year's love had better last..."**

The following day, the group got off to a late start. Almost everyone woke up either hungover or still drunk from the night before…with the exception of a few. Nevertheless, everyone on the docks had a joint-cookout, just as they did every year.

Most of the day, however, was spent packing up for the trip back to Lima Point. Brittany took Santana inland once more to get postcards and miscellaneous souvenirs while Finn, Artie and Puck went to the north side of the island to stock up on more beer for the ride home.

Around five in the afternoon, the guests from Lima Point pulled out of the marina.  
>"This is <em>Night Moves <em>to Point Lookout, over." Brittany called from her radio.

"Pierce! You guys have a safe trip back home, okay? Over."

"Will do. Thanks Terri, as always, for an awesome weekend!"

"Of course! See you next year!"

"This is _Queen Bee_, thanks Point Lookout!"

"Yeah, _Pathfinder_ to Point Lookout…Thanks!"

"_Glamorous_ to Poin-"

"Thanks Point Lookout, this is-"

As the boaters scrambled their thanks to the marina, Santana, who was riding with Brittany in her boat, thanks to Artie offering to captain her boat back, walked up and linked her arm with her girlfriend's. "Good times."

"Yeah." The blonde replied with a smile.

A few hours later, the fleet was back at the Lima Point Marina. Everyone pulled into their slips and helped each other tie in. Finn stepped off of the last boat and cracked open a car of beer. "Man, it's good to be home! Who's ready to party?"

Everyone chuckled and, of course, everyone was in…except for Sue.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews. I have edited the front half of the story to read better on mobiles. Also, this is a transpositional story that was originally written for two other characters. I have fixed those mistakes as well. Hope you enjoy. Sexy times coming. :)**

It had been a couple of weeks since the group's trip to Point Lookout. Summer was quickly coming to an end for everyone. September was just around the corner, as was Santana and Stephan's inevitable departure from the Lima Point Marina.

It was the last week of August and time for the annual "End-of-the-Season" bash that Brittany and the guys threw every season. It was also Mike and Tina's last weekend at the marina as they had to leave on Monday to return home. The rest of the seasonal crew, such as Rachel, Kurt and Blaine, would be departing the following week after Labor Day.

"Are you sure you guys can't stay one more week?" Santana said to her best friend.

"We can't, Santana." Tina said hesitantly. "This was just supposed to be a stop in to say hello to you guys. We didn't even make it to the Cape! We ended up staying the entire summer!"

"I know, I know, but exactly! What's one more week?" Santana pleaded with a puppy dog face.

"We really can't. Mike and I both have to get back to work. My mother has been wondering where we've been…we have to go."

Santana gave up. "I know." She gave her friend a hug. "Well, at least we have tonight! Partay!"

Everyone had spent the day preparing for the event, which was to be held on Sue's boat. The members of the Lima Point Marina took turns every year hosting the end of the year party on their boat. This year, it would be on _Queen Bee_, the largest boat at the marina. Steph and Puck were rolling the kegs down the dock when they ran into Brittany.

"Hey Britts, we need a piece of plywood to get these on the boat." Finn said.

"Already done. Artie and Sam are down there to help you guys."

"Good deal. Where are you off to?" Finn asked.

"Umm, I need to go pick up Santana from the store."

"Why?" Steph asked." Didn't she take Artie's car?"

"Yes," Brittany replied. "But, she needs…assistance. She, uh, ran out of gas."

Later that night, the party was underway. Everyone was there. They had, just as they did every year, gone to Mattox Creek and anchored out for the night. Sue's boat slept at least 50 and it had two dinghies just in case anyone wanted to go back to the marina for the night. The boat had an extended platform for people to swim off of as well as two bars, one in the front and one in the back, to accommodate anyone in need of a drink. Blaine had also found a small, local band to play for the party. Yes, it was the party the entire yacht club looked forward to at the end of every year.

Brittany had found Santana in the madness somewhere around ten o'clock. "Hey you."

The brunette spun around in surprise. "Hey!" She gave Brittany a kiss on the cheek. "Where have you been all night?"

"Ugh, the usual – telling people when we can or can not winterize their boats, promising people slips will or will not be available for next year. That kinda thing."

"Working while partying, fun fun!"

"Not really." Brittany said with a laugh as she took her girlfriend's hand. "Remember when we got stuck out here earlier this summer?"

Santana laughed. "Yeah, I do. That was my first night out with you and the guys. We had so much fun that night, especially swimming."

"Swimming?"

"Yeah." Santana said with a smile.

"Well, let's go then!"

The couple swam with the guys, along with Rachel, Joe, Tina and even Sue. Cannonballs and a few dares later, people were starting to come in from the water to get drinks and listen to the band a bit. Brittany and Santana stayed behind for a little bit, enjoying as much time as they could alone with each other.

"Brittany, you know I have to leave next week." Santana said.

"I do." The blonde looked down at the water. "But it doesn't take anything away from what you and I have had this summer." She looked up. The two were by the ladder, each holding on to an arm.

Brittany studied Santana's face in the moonlight and could tell she was sad. She cupped the brunette's right cheek with a wet hand. "I do love you, Santana."

"I don't want to say goodbye to you, but I have to." Santana said softly, beginning to tear up and giving an 'it's not fair' look to the blonde.

Brittany gave herself a reassuring smile before taking Santana's hand into her own, pulling her halfway onto the ladder. "Come on, let's go listen to some music."

The blonde helped her girlfriend up out of the water. "Could you grab us a beer? I am going to go get a couple of towels for us."

"No problem." the Latina said. "Be right back."

As soon as Santana disappeared into the cabin, Brittany went to talk to Ben. "Hey Kurt, I need a favor. Do you think I could play a song with the band?"

Santana was on her way out to the back deck with two beers in hand when she noticed Brittany with a guitar standing with the band. The blonde noticed Santana and stepped up to the mic. "Hey everyone. Umm, I've never really played with a band or anything so I don't know how this next song is going to sound, but this is for someone here tonight. Santana," Brittany looked at her girlfriend. "Our talks and times this summer have changed my life. Here or there, I love you."

Santana stopped in her tracks and leaned against a rail. Mike and Tina stood next to her and listened as Brittany began to sing.

**"All your life you've waited  
>for love to come and stay<br>and now that I have found you,  
>it must not slip away…<strong>

I know it's hard believing  
>The words you've heard before<br>Darling you must trust them please  
>Trust them just once more…"<p>

The band joined in...

**"…Cause baby, goodbye doesn't mean forever  
>Let me tell you, goodbye doesn't mean we'll<br>never be together again  
>If you wake up and I'm not there<br>I won't be long away  
>All the things you do, my goodbye girl<br>Will bring me back to you…"**

Santana felt a tear fall down her cheek as Tina wrapped her arm around her friend.

**"…I know you've been taken,  
>afraid to hurt again<br>and fight the love you feel for me  
>Instead of giving in<strong>

And I can wait forever  
>And help you to see<br>that I was meant for you my love  
>and you were meant for me…"<p>

Brittany barely sang the last words as she looked at the woman who had changed her life, knowing she would be gone soon.

**"…Remember, goodbye doesn't mean forever  
>Let me tell you, goodbye doesn't mean we'll<br>never be together again  
>We may be so far apart<br>But you still have my heart  
>So forget your past<br>My goodbye girl, now your home at last…."**

Everyone looked on as the song ended. Among them was Finn, who knew her the best. He turned to Puck as he finished a beer. "It's going to kill her when Santana leaves."

Santana turned to the water, hiding the tears that were beginning to fall. Mike and Tina stood by the brunette so she wouldn't be alone. Brittany wiped a couple of tears away and handed the guitar back to Kurt's friend, saying a quiet 'Thank you' as she walked toward the front of the boat.

Most of the people in the group knew that Santana and Brittany had grown close over the summer, but there were a few here and there that had no idea. And for the ones who did, none of them quite understood just how close they had become or what next week meant to either of them.

"What was that all about?" Rachel asked Joe.

"I don't know, but they both look like they just lost their best friend."

Brittany climbed to the top bridge of _Queen Bee_ and sat alone. With her knees tucked into her arms, she looked out into the water and cried.

"Yo, Britts, what's up?" Artie asked, kneeling next to the blonde.

Brittany stared blankly into her hands with her head hung low. "You're a bright guy, Artie. I know this because I hired you. What the **hell** do you **think** is wrong?"

"Hey, hey! Don't need to jump down my throat, Pierce! I'm just trying to be here for you."

Brittany let up a little. "I know, Artie. I'm sorry." She looked down toward Santana, seeing only a little bit of her hair blowing in the breeze. "I'm just so unhappy right now."

Tina leaned her elbows against the railing beside her friend. "You know, nothing is ever set in stone, Santana."

"Yeah."

"Besides," Tina began. "her boobs are way too small for you. You need some big chi chis, amiga."

Santana didn't smile. "Ha. Ha." She said sarcastically.

"Hey, I'm just trying to make you smile." Tina said in her short voice as she linked elbows with her best friend.

"Not working." The Latina turned around and leaned her back against the railing, looking up in Brittany's direction, seeing only a little bit of her hair blowing in the breeze. "It's just not fair…"

For the most part, the rest of the group continued to party and drink, dance and mingle with each other. The band kept playing and the party kept going.

"Brittany, that's whacked, for real." Artie said.

"What? That I am unhappy?" The blonde replied.

"Yes! Why would you be unhappy right now? The love of your life is twenty feet away from you and you're up here with me, sulking. What happened to the Brittany that lived for the day and made sure that happiness was all that mattered?"

"I met Santana."

"Fuck meeting Santana. Brittany, be unhappy when she leaves or when you have to say goodbye to her. But don't waste your last week with her moping around just because you know it is going to happen."

Brittany looked up at Artie as she wiped fresh tears from her eyes.

"Be with her and be happy and take in every last moment that you can. Spend this time with her right."

"Life isn't always fair, Santana."

"Well, why the hell not, Tina? Why? I've done everything right in my life – I shouldn't have an ounce of bad karma coming my way. But, oops! I met a girl, an awesome girl, fell in love and now that is going to be gone. Why did I even have to meet her?"

"Do you regret having met her?"

"No."

"Then what is it you are whining about exactly?" Tina asked.

"Having to make this choice."

"What? Leaving a life behind versus loving someone?"

"Yes."

"But I thought you already made your choice."

Santana looked up at her friend, who simply smirked. "I told nothing is ever set in stone."

"You're right, Artie. You're usually not right, but you're right this time."

"That's right." Artie said with confidence.

"Wanna take a little swim with me?" Brittany asked.

"Sure, why not?"

She took his hand. "Okay, ready?"

"Wait wait wait, This far up, Brittany?"

"You scared?"

Artie cleared his throat. "Uh, no."

"Okay, then, on three."

"One."

"Two."

On three, they jumped into the water.

"You two don't have a lot of time left together. Just enjoy what you do have, okay?" Tina was trying her best to lift her friend's spirits.

Santana nodded semi-reassuringly. "Okay, you're right. Maybe we could have dinner, or go back to St. John's. You know, do some things we did this summer."

"That sounds nice." Tina replied, wrapping her arm around the brunette. "Okay, let's get you a beer."

Fifteen minutes later, Brittany and Artie were at the boathouse. "Ever been here, Abrams?"

"Naw," he said as they both climbed onto the dock. "This is pretty cool, though."

"Yeah, it's my favorite place in Lima Point."

"Pretty romantic, Britts."

"Yes, it is."

"Wait, you're not trying to get all freaky-deaky with me, are ya? You turnin' straight, Brittany?"

"Haha, you wish." They both laughed. "No, I brought Santana here earlier this summer - the night we all got too drunk and forgot about the tides. Remember?"

"Yeah, we got stuck underneath of the bridge!"

"That's the one. Santana and I swam out here and talked, first night we hung out. That was one of the best nights of my life."

Artie put his arm around the blonde. "And I am sure there will be a couple more like that."

"A couple?"

"At least." He said with a sarcastic smile.

"Hey guys!" Puck and Finn called from a dinghy as they pulled up to the boathouse.

"Hey!" Brittany and Artie said as they helped the others tie the dinghy up. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, we saw you guys swim out here, and thought we'd bring you a couple of beers. We couldn't let you go thirsty or anything."

Artie and Brittany grabbed a beer from the cooler. "Thanks, very sweet of you."

"Oh, and this is Becky." Puck said, helping the young blonde out of the small boat. "She's my kid sister. Just got into town from Washington. We're keeping her company tonight."

Brittany extended her hand to Becky. "Very nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too. Your mouth is turned upwards, that is good. I saw you earlier tonight, on top of the boat. Your mouth was turned downward then, but now it isn't and that is good."

Brittany chuckled a bit. "Yes, that is right. I was sad earlier, but everything is okay now."

Brittany turned to Finn and Puck. "Hey, did you guys happen to bring a VHF with you?"

"Ahhh, you are in luck." her brother said, reaching into a bag in the dinghy.

"Here ya go." He said, handing Brittany the radio.

"Thanks."

"Have you guys seem Brittany?" Santana asked Will and Emma.

"She was swimming just a little bit ago, but we haven't seen her in awhile."

"Alright. If you do, let her know I'm looking for her."

"This is Pretty Eyes to _Queen Bee_, over."

"Pierce, those guys are all trashed over there. No one is going to hear you." Puck said.

"Pretty Eyes to _Queen Bee_, over."

"They might be on a different channel." Artie suggested.

"Oh, I think they are." Becky said. "Sue, she told my dad to change the channel to 1-9 in case anyone started to cuss. She said that we, no one could get into any trouble because 1-9 is a private channel."

Brittany looked curiously at Finn and shrugged her shoulders as she clicked the dial to channel 19. "This is Pretty Eyes to _Queen Bee_, over."

"Pretty Eyes to _Quee_—"

"Hello! Wooohooo! This is Sue-fucking-Sylvester, who is this?"

"Hi, I was wondering if I could speak to Santana please, that is if she is on that boat."

"Well, I am sure she is, hang on just a tiny minute. Can I tell her who this is?"

"Just tell her it's Pretty Eyes."

"Ok darlin', one second."

"Heya Santana!" Sue called out drunkenly. "Santana?"

Tina heard Sue calling for her friend and went over to the brunette "Hey, Sue - well a very drunken Sue - is calling for you in the bridge."

"Huh?" Santana said.

Tina followed her friend to the bridge where Sue was waiting with the receiver in one hand and a martini in the other.

"Santana, some girl is calling on the radio for you." Sue said as she staggered.

"Uh, girl? Who?" Santana asked.

"I dunno, says her name is 'pretty something' or 'petty guys' or sumfin like that." She said as she dropped the receiver on the ground, stumbling down into the forward cabin.

Santana's eyes lit up at the words. She looked at Tina and then picked up the receiver. "This is Shirt Stuff, over." Santana said with a smile.

"Hey Santana, it's Brittany."

"I know that, silly. Where are you?"

"I'm at my favorite place in Lima Point." Brittany said, beginning to shrug off her sorrow for the time being. "Wanna join me?"

"Of course I do, haha. I'll be right there." Santana said, doing the same.

"Ok, Pretty Eyes over and out."

"Ditto that."

Ten minutes later, Tina and Santana arrived at the Boathouse in the second spare dinghy. Santana got out of the boat, her friend following after. "Hey," Santana said as she gave Brittany a kiss on the cheek. "I brought your guitar, thought maybe we could play a few more songs tonight."

And for the next few hours, the small group at the boathouse played, sang, drank, and laughed…starting to end their summer just as they began it.


	12. Chapter 12

It was Monday, six days until Brittany and Santana would have to part ways. Santana and Steph were leaving Sunday afternoon. The girls had decided to make one last trip to Cobb Island for dinner that night. Brittany and Santana had both agreed that they would spend their last week with each other doing a few things they had done earlier in the summer.

_"Ok, so I'll take plans for today, you can have Tuesday, and so on." Santana said. "That way it'll be fair and terrible romantic."_

"_You're silly, but good idea." Brittany replied, giving Santana a quick kiss on the cheek. "So, what are we doing today?"_

"_We're going to Cobb Island, but this time, we're taking my boat." The bruntte said as the two girls walked down the dock towards the Dirty Dozen._

_Brittany smiled as Santana walked ahead of her a bit, turning to get onto her boat.  
>"Ok, well I have a few things left to do in the office and I need to shut down the gas dock. Want me to meet you here around-?"<em>

"_6:30."_

"_Okay, 6:30 it is." The blonde replied with a smile as she started to make her way back down the dock._

"_Oh, and Brittany?" Santana called from her boat as her girlfriend turned around. "You might want to wash up before dinner, you're looking pretty filthy."_

"_Ahh!" Brittany said with surprise as she continued further on down the dock._

"This is Lima Point Marina to _Gail Winds_, over."

"This is _Gail Winds_, hey Brittany! Over."

"Hey Will, you guys having fun out there?"

"Oh yeah, the water is great today."

"Awesome!" Brittany started. "Listen, I was wondering if you and Emma could do me a favor."

Emma looked at his wife, who nodded. "Sure, anything. What's up?"

Around five o'clock, Brittany closed the ship store and went to the bath house to take a shower. Some clean clothes on and an hour later, the blonde made her way down to Santana's boat. When she got there, her girlfriend was checking the tide maps.

"May I come aboard?" Brittany asked with a giggle.

Santana turned around quickly. "Hey you. Sure, hang on, lemme help you." She said as she offered Brittany a hand.

"You, uh, look really nice." Santana said to the blonde, checking out her sarong and bikini top.

"Thanks." Brittany said as she blushed. "I am guessing that we are going to Pier 3 again, right?"

"Yes, that okay with you?" Santana asked.

"Yes, right. Well, I just thought that since we were going there, I would wear something, you know, a little festive." The blonde finished as she re-tied her sarong.

"Well, you look adorable. I think I might go for the festive look myself."

The ride to Cobb Island was pretty smooth for the most part. Santana and Brittany took turns at the wheel, each having a glass of wine on the way. Since they weren't in Brittany's sailboat on this trip, they got to the island in no time. Once there, they tied up and made their way to the restaurant.

"Hello, two for dinner. Can we sit on the deck? Umm, and I have a reservation, should be under 'Lopez.' Oh and also, we are meeting two others."

"Ahh yes, you can just go on out there, someone will be right with you."

The girls made their way to the deck. Santana noticed the same table they had before was open. "Let's go sit over there," the brunette said as she took Brittany's hand.

Santana and Brittany sat down and ordered drinks. A few minutes later, Emma and Will walked over to deliver their drinks. "Hey girls." Emma said.

"Hey. What are you guys doing here?" Santana asked.

"Well, we were out in the bay and thought we'd grab some dinner here before we headed back to Lima Point."

"Wow, this is like déjà vu or something." Santana added.

"Well, not exactly." Brittany started. "I actually asked the Schuester's here tonight. When you said we were coming to Cobb Island, I figured that we'd be coming here. And since Will and Emmae were with us before - well, I just thought you'd like them here tonight as well."

"Aww, of course. Guys, grab a seat." Santana said, scooting over.

"Thanks. So what are we having?" Will asked

"Steamed crabs." Brittany said.

"And cheap beer." Santana addd, looking across the table to the blonde with a smile.

After dinner, the two couples untied and headed back towards Lima Point. Will and Emma went on to the marina while Brittany and Santana decided to catch the sunset right off of Mattox Creek. Santana opened a bottle of wine, poured each of them a glass, and headed out to the bow to join her girlfriend.

"Sunset is pretty today, huh?" Santana said as she sat down next to the blonde.

"Yeah, it really is."

"The sky definitely doesn't ever look like this in Chicago." Santana said.

Brittany hesitated. "Yeah, but at least there's something different to do everyday."

"True."

The girls talked while the sun set, about the summer, the future, about everything. They both, however, tried their best to stay away from talking about the upcoming Sunday.

After the sun was down, Santana stood up and grabbed Brittany's hand. "Come on, let's get inside. It's getting a little chilly out." The brunette took her girlfriend's hand and led her down into the cabin.

**"Open the door, walk in behind her  
>Draw back your mind, let it remind her<br>No one's around, no need to fake it  
>She's not in love, how can she take it?"<br>**

They stood in front of each other. Santana brushed a few locks of hair from Brittany's face and cupped her cheek. "You are so beautiful, Brittany."

**"Give her the time, she'll know you mean it  
>Make up her mind, throw in her feelings<br>Open the door, have her jump through it  
>She fell in love, how could she do it?"<br>**

Brittany didn't say anything. She couldn't say anything. Santana inched her face closer to Brittany's and softly touched her lips with the blonde's.

**"Do you know, do you know what you're missing  
>What your missing, will show<br>If you should try to kiss her…"**

Santana and Brittany woke the next morning to the smell of breakfast. Brittany rolled over to face her girlfriend. "Hey."

"Hey."

"I smell coffee." Brittany said.

"I smell food." The Santana replied snuggling up to the blonde.

"You would. Come on, let's go on up."

"But I wanna stay here with youuuuu." Santana said with a whiney voice.

"Foooood, Santana. Come on." Brittany teased as she rolled out of the bed, lifting back the covers for the brunette to follow.

The Latina got out of bed, rubbing her eyes. "Okay, okay." She replied with the same whiney voice.

The girls went upstairs to find Steph and Quinn flipping bacon and stirring gravy. "Mmmm, what's all this?" Santana asked as she came up the stairs, Brittany following close behind.

"Well, Quinn and I came in late last night and saw you guys were here." Steph said.

"We hope you don't mind." Quinn added. "Same and Mercedes were on my boat, so we came down here."

"No, that's no problem at all." Santana said, looking at Steph.

"Anyway, we were up before you and thought you'd like some grub, country-style." Quinn said as she stirred the gravy.

"Ohh, country cookin', there's something I'm not used to everyday." Santana giggled as she grabbed plates for she and Brittany.

The foursome sat on the back of the boat at a table that Steph and Quinn had secretly lifted from the Berry's boat down the dock. They drank mimosas and chatted lightly as they watched the first group of boaters heading out for a day on the water.

"Shouldn't you be in the office, Brittany?" Quinn asked the blonde. "There sure are a lot of people out on the river today."

"I probably should be, I bet the radio is going off like crazy!" Brittany laughed as she finished up her drink. "I wish I could stay and drink mimosas with you guys though." she said, looking at Santana as she offered a smile.

Brittany looked at her watch. "Yes, I guess I should get going." The blonde said as she stood up. "Thanks so much for breakfast, guys. It was really sweet of you." She leaned down to give Santana a quick peck on the lips. "I'll see you later?"

"You bet." the bruette flashed a smile.

Brittany let herself off of the boat and made her way down the dock, turning left at E dock to change before work. She stepped onto her boat, went down to her cabin and shuffled through some clothes. As she was pulling her hair up, she noticed a picture of she and Santana tucked into her mirror, taken at Capt. John's earlier in the summer. A soft smile escaped her lips as she took the picture down, studying it with her fingers. "I do love you, Santana." she said under her breath to no one in particular. She finally snapped out of her daze as she noticed the clock on the wall. "Grrr, I am so late." she mumbled as she grabbed her keys and made her way out of the cabin.

Back in the Dirty Dozen, Santana, Quinn, and Steph were finishing up their breakfast.  
>"Wow, you guys are just so, like, natural with each other." Quinn said to Santana as she propped her feet up on the table.<p>

Santana smiled. "I know. It feels like I have known her forever."

Steph put his arm around Quinn. "I guess I know that feeling." he said, smiling.

"So, what are you guys doing today?" Santana asked.

Steph looked at the woman beside him. "I don't know, I was thinking maybe we could go out on the boat, maybe dinner later on. Not too sure yet."

Quinn looked at the brunette. "I think we're just gonna spend as much time as we can together, ya know, before Sunday." she said as she looked down to nothing in particular.

That comment made the three very awkward and very quiet. It wasn't just Brittany and Santana that would be saying goodbye on Sunday, but Steph and Quinn as well.

Steph broke the silence. "Well, I am going to get some of these dishes inside." he said as stood up, grabbing the girl's plates. Once we was gone, Santana was the first to speak.

"Wheew, this is going to be a hard week." She said to the woman in front of her, pouring them each a new mimosa.

For most of the morning, Brittany worked on never-ending piles of paperwork she had been putting off for most of the summer. But, with the exception of a few transient customers and boaters paying their monthly slip fee, the office was pretty slow. She looked at her watch. _'Time to make lunch for the guys'_she thought.

The blonde went across the street and grabbed some hamburger meat from the fridge and buns from the bread box. She looked out the window to see the guys working in the yard. The three of them were each working on winterizing a boat. "End of the summer." She mumbled to herself as she picked up the meat and headed out of the door.

Brittany pulled the grill outside and lit the charcoal. She grabbed a few ears of corn from the refrigerator in the shop and threw them on with the hamburgers. When everything was about done, she blew the bull horn, signaling to the guys that lunch was ready.

Santana, Steph, and Quinn were still on the boat working on another round of mimosas. "So, where are you guys going tonight?" Santana asked Steph.

"Not sure yet."

"You know, if you and Brittany wanted to come along, we could do a double-date or something." Quinn offered.

Santana smiled. "That's sweet. We'll see. Brittany and I are kind of taking turns making plans for the rest of the week."

"You're suck a dork, Santana." Steph said with a laugh.

"Yeah, yeah. I know."

"Well, just let us know, it's still early in the day."

"Sounds good."

"Okay, who wants another?" Santana asked as she held up her empty champagne glass.

* * *

><p>Finn, Puck, and Artie all headed in from the yard, dripping with grease and muck.<br>"You guys, wash your hands before you touch this, yeah?" Brittany said as she made herself a hamburger. She sat down in a chair by the grill and relaxed a bit, enjoying her lunch. A few minutes later, the guys emerged from the shop to get lunch.

"Oh, don't take that burnt one. I made that one for Santana." Brittany mumbled with a full mouth. "Gonna take it down to her later."

Finn looked at Puck, then to Artie and smiled. "Hey Britts," Finn started. "Why don't you take it down to her now, have lunch with her."

"I can't, I have a ton of work to in the office and—"

Finn cut her off. "Don't worry about the work in the office. We can take care of that."

"What do you mean, take care of it? There's work in the yard that needs to get done."

"Yeah, yeah." Puck said.

"Look, I'm the only one besides you that knows the office work." Finn said. "You take the rest of the week off, Brittany. Spend it with Santana."

Brittany looked at her brother. The two of them had tried to go back to normal since the trip to Point Lookout. The day after they returned, they had talked.

_"Finn, I just don't understand why you couldn't have told me."_

_He brother looked down to the ground beneath them. "Brittany, it was just something that happened. Then when it did, I didn't know how to tell anyone, not even you."_

"_Finn Pierce, we're family. Did you think I would disown you? I'm gay! I thought I'd be the first person you told!"_

"_But I didn't."_

"_You didn't."_

"_We've always been so close, I just…it's hard for me to understand why you didn't tell me. That's all."_

"_I'm sorry, sis." Finn put his arm around his sister. "No more secrets, okay?"_

"_Okay." Brittany looked up at Finn with a smirk. "So, is he good in bed?"  
><em>

"Finn, we need at least three guys in the yard to get all of this work done." Brittany pointed to the numerous boats blocked up in the yard.

"I know, I got someone to come in for a few days to help out."

As if on cue, Rory pulled into the marina in his corner market uniform. "Hey guys. Is there somewhere I can change my clothes?"

"Sure man, right through there." Artie said, pointing to the bathroom.

"Thanks." Finn said as he made his way into the shop.

"Well, there's our third yard worker." Puck said, rubbing his chin matter-of-factly.

"Brittany, Rory's gonna come here after his shirt at the market to work the rest of the week in the yard with Puck and Artie and I'm going to take over the office for you."

_Finn and the guys had discussed it earlier that morning. "Hey guys," he said said as he clocked in. "I was thinking maybe we could pull some extra hours this week and give Brittany a few days off to spend the week with Santana. What do you think?"_

_"I'm for it." Artie said._

_"Maybe I can get you someone to help you guys out in the yard...and I'll work the office."_

_"Sounds good. Brittany never has any time off anyway."_

_"Alright then, we'll tell her at lunch."_

"Really?"

"Yeah." Finn said with a smile.

"So like I said, take this burnt ass hamburger down to Santana and have lunch with her." Artie said as he threw an ear of corn onto the plate.

Brittany smiled. "Okay, you know all of the channels on the radio right, Finn?"

"Yes."

"And the keys to the boats are—"

"Behind your desk, I know."

"And –"

"I got it!" Finn said, halfway yelling.

"Alright, alright. I just need to clock out." Brittany said as she turned to go into the shop.

"Already done." Finn said walking out, holding up her time card.

"Don't worry about anything, Britts." Artie said. "Go have some fun."

"Thank you so much guys. I owe ya one."

"Yeah ya do." Puck said with a smirk.

With that, Brittany grabbed her and Santana's plates and headed toward the docks.

It seemed like Santana, Steph, and Quinn had still not moved from the back of the boat. Drinks were still coming and they hadn't bothered to move from their spots. Since Brittany was working, Santana really didn't have much to do with her day.

"I think I'm getting drunk." Steph said as he finished his drink.

Brittany was halfway down the dock when her radio went off. "_Naughty Gal_ to Lima Point Marina, over."

It was instinct, Brittany always handled the radio calls. She reach for her VHF on her side. While doing so, the plates of food she had balanced in her left hand wobbled and fell to the ground. "Shit, damn, ass!" the blond said to herself in disappointment.

Rachel and Joe were walking her way down the docks. "Oh my, Brittany. Did you have a little accident?" Rachel said, looking at the blonde's mustard-stained shirt and the food on the wood below.

"Yeah, was trying to grab my radio."

"Well don't you worry about the mess at all. I'm sure little Freddy here will take care of the clean up." The woman said, looking down at her dog.

"Thanks, Rachel. See you guys later."

Brittany stepped onto Santana's boat and noticed the threesome still at the table in the back. She walked down to join them. "Hey guys." She said with a little embarrassment.

The three at the table giggle a little. Santana stood up. "What happened to you?"

"Well, I was bringing lunch down here for you and someone called on the radio and when I picked up the radio, I dropped our plates."

"Aww, well, lemme go grab you some clean clothes and we'll go grab some quick lunch. How does that sound?" Santana asked, putting her arm around the blonde.

"Okay." Brittany said with a pout in her voice.

Santana disappeared upstairs and came back a few minutes later with some fresh clothes for Brittany. "By the way…" Santana said with a smile. "…What **was** for lunch?"

"Hamburgers. And I even burned yours for you." The brunette smiled.

Brittany changed and came down to the back deck a few minutes later. "You guys **still** drinking?"

"Yeah buddy! You want one, Brittany?" Quinn asked.

"Well, since I don't have to work til' Monday, why not!" she said as she sat down next to her girlfriend.

"Wait - Monday?" Santana asked with surprise.

"The boys are covering for me. It was their idea actually. Finn's working in the yard and Finn is covering the office for me. Sooo, I have the week off!"

Santana's eyes lit up. "Pour her a drink, Steph!"

The foursome changed into appropriate attire and headed out a bit later for a quick lunch at Joe's. Since neither Santana nor Brittany's boats couldn't get into the slips there, they took Finn's jet skis. Brittany and Santana rode one, Steph and Quinn rode the other. After lunch, they all paid the bill, and left the restaurant.

"Hey guys, you in any rush to get somewhere?" Brittany asked as they all put on their life vests.

"No, not us." Steph said, asking for the okay from Quinn.

"Awesome."

Brittany and Steph got onto each of their jet skis and started them up, their girlfriends following.  
>"Okay, you guys follow me." With the thumbs up from Quinn and Steph, they were off.<p>

Thirty minutes later, the couples were going underneath the bridge into Mattox Creek. Santana, who was holding on to Brittany from behind, was the first to notice.

"Hey, there's the boat house!"

"Yeah, but we're not going there today!" Brittany said loudly over the rumbling of the engine.

The mouth of Mattox Creek was about ten feet deep, so most large boats could only get to that part when the tide was in. But, the creek was also about a mile long and only small watercraft like skiffs or jet skis could go the entire length of it. Brittany led as Steph followed her through the snaky-shaped water until they finally reached the end.

"Man, that was really cool, Brittany!" Steph yelled from the other jet ski.

"Yeah, I didn't realize the creek was so long." Santana said, still holding on to Brittany's waist.

"This creek is the reason Finn got these jet skis – he comes out here all the time."

"I would too, it's gorgeous." Santana said pulling her girlfriend a little closer.

"Not over yet, love."

Brittany led the others under a small bridge at the south end of the creek that you almost couldn't see unless you were looking for it. The couples had to duck to get under it since the tide was in. On the other side of the bridge was a small lake, surrounded with trees and was equipped with a 50-ft dock and ladder. Brittany took her jet ski to the pier, tied it to the piling as Steph and Quinn followed.

"Wow, Brittany, this is amazing." Santana said as she and the blonde hopped off of the jet ski and made their way to the ladder. Once everyone was on the dock, they took in the sight.

"This is the T-dock, of course, named after the shape of it." Brittany said. "It used to just be a small pier, but over time, we kept adding on to it and it eventually became this."

"We?" Steph asked.

"Yeah, Finn and I. That's our house over there." Brittany said, pointing to the opposite end of the lake. Santana looked in wonderment, realizing there was so much more about Brittany than she knew - so much more she wanted to learn. They spent the afternoon swimming and running the jet skis in the lake. They played chicken at the opposite end of the lake where the water was shallow and even tried the "marco polo" bit. Around sunset, the foursome hopped back on their jet skis and made their way back to Mattox Creek.

"Actually, **this** is why Finn got the jet skis." Brittany said to her girlfriend as they emerged from under the small bridge to see the sun setting on the horizon afar.

"Wow." was all Santana could mutter.

**"When it's not always raining  
>There'll be days like this<br>When there's no one complaining  
>There'll be days like this<br>Everything falls into place  
>Like the flick of a switch<br>Well my mama told me…  
>There'd be days like this…"<br>**

Brittany led the others behind her back through Mattox Creek, left then right, left then right. Santana clung tightly to her from behind, taking in the sight. The orange sun reflected off of the water into Santana's eyes and she, like so many times with Brittany, suddenly felt like she was home.

**"..When you don't need an answer  
>there'll be days like this<br>When you don't need a chance  
>There'll be days like this<br>When all the parts of the puzzle  
>Start to look like they fit<br>Then I must remember…  
>there'll be days like this…"<br>**

Holding Brittany from behind, Santana smiled and unbeknownst to the blonde, kissed her back and placed her head on the back of her girlfriend's shoulder, not wanting to be anywhere else at that moment…

**"…When no one steps on my dreams,  
>there'll be days like this<br>Well, people understand what I mean,  
>There'll be days like this<br>When you bring out the changes  
>Of how everything is<br>Well, my mama told me  
>There'd be days like this…"<br>**

The foursome returned to the marina just after sunset. Brittany and Steph dropped off Santana and Quinn at the gas dock and then took the jet skis back to Finn's shed on the other side of the marina. After the two had tied the skis up, they started down the dock to meet their girls.

"Steph, mind if I ask you something?" Brittany asked.

"Umm sure, what's up?"

"I was just wondering if you had any hesitation on leaving Quinn?"

Stephan took a deep breath. "Ya know Brittany, I do. I really do, but I just have to and I have told myself that."

The blonde nodded. "Call it bad timing or crappy circumstances, whatever you will. Whatever the reason for this happening now, I don't know. I do know, though, that I have to go."

"Do you want to go?" Brittany asked.

"No, I don't."

"Well, just make sure you tell her that before you leave. Make sure she really knows that. Steph put his hands in his pockets and simply nodded, while looking at the ground.

Steph and Brittany met Quinn and Santana a few minutes later at the end of the dock.  
>"Sooo…" Santana said. "What are you two doing for the rest of the night?" She between at Quinn and Steph.<p>

"Well…" the blonde started. "I was thinking maybe you and Brittany would like to have dinner with us."

"That's a great idea." Brittany said.

"But, what about 'taking turns'?" Santana asked the blonde.

Brittany linked her arm with her girlfriend. "It's only Tuesday, still plenty of time for my plans with you."

The Latina blushed. "Okay then, sounds good to me."

Instead of going out, the foursome opted for a night in on the boat. Brittany and Quinn had taken a trip to the grocery store while the other two stayed behind to tidy up a bit. The two blondes arrived back from the store around 7:30, quickly making their way down the dock and onto the boat. Steph and Santana already had the grilled fired up and were making a round of drinks for everyone when they stepped aboard.

"Okay, we got a roast, potatoes, and corn." Brittany said, setting the bags down next to the grill.

"Wait a minute. You got a roast?" Steph asked, looking between the two girls.

"Yeah." Quinn said. "It was cheaper than getting four steaks."

Santana chuckled.

"Whaaat?" the two other girls said in unison with an 'I don't understand' tone.

Steph picked up the roast. "You can't just slice a pot roast to make a bunch of little steaks."

"Why not?" Quinn asked, with a tilted head.

"I don't know why, but you just can't." Steph said, putting the hunk of meat down.

Brittany shrugged her shoulders. "So, can't we just cook it on the grill anyway?"

"Brittany, this isn't a crock pot." Steph laughed. "Those things take like 7 hours to cook!"

"Oh." Quinn and Brittany said as they looked down, a little embarrassed.

Santana broke in. "Well, look. The potatoes and corn we can still cook on the grill. We just need to find something to replace the, uh…roast." The brunette couldn't help but laugh.

Brittany perked up. "Well, Finn and I have some crab pots at the end of the dock. We can check to see if we caught anything."

"That sounds perfect." Santana said.

"Yes, and I definitely know that you can't cook crabs on a grill." Brittany said nonchalantly.

Santana and Brittany went to the other end of the gas dock to check the pots. Steph grabbed Puck's steamer from the ship store while Quinn stayed behind to start the potatoes and corn.

Brittany lifted the four pots from the water. "Looks like we have almost a dozen here. That should be enough for the four of us, yeah?" she asked Santana.

"Plenty."

"Okay then, let's get these to the boat." The blonde said as she emptied the pots. "I'm getting hungry!"

When the girls got back to the slip, Steph already had the steamer on and filled with water. Quinn was sipping on a beer while she turned the corn and potatoes. "Hey guys." Santana said as she and Brittany lugged the bucket full of crabs onto the boat.

"Hey." Steph said. "What else do you need besides the water?"

"Mustard, some old bay, and a knife." Brittany replied as she lugged the bucket towards the steamer.

"I'll get them," Santana said as she disappeared into the galley to retrieve the items.

Minutes later, the crabs were going into the pot. Brittany stabbed each of them in the apron with a knife.

"Why are you doing that?" Steph asked.

"Well, I may not know how to cook a roast or why you can't on a grill, but I do happen to be the best crab cooker in town." Brittany said with a smile as she threw the last crab in. "Stabbing a little hole in the apron keeps the legs from falling off. Something I learned from my dad."

She poured mustard on the top along with a generous amount of old bay. "Interesting recipe there, Pierce." Quinn said as she took a sip of her beer. Brittany smiled as she grabbed the blonde's beer and poured it into the pot.

"Heeeeey!" Quinn said. "I was drinking that!"

"Get another one, cute face. That's the special ingredient. And besides, it was **your**idea to get a damn roast in the first place!" Brittany said with a smirk as she put the top on the steamer.

Twenty minutes later, the foursome dined on crabs and veggies. Steph had lit candles on the table and on the railing on the back deck. Santana and Brittany sat on one side of the table, facing the water while Steph and Quinn sat on the other. The light was low and music was playing.

"These crabs are awesome, Brittany." Steph said as he cracked a claw.

"Yes, everything is great guys." Santana followed directing her comment to both of the cooks.

The two couples enjoyed dinner, sharing a bottle of wine along with a few beers. "Hey, it's really nice out tonight." Steph said. "Let's all go swimming."

Santana looked at Brittany. "Yeah, that sounds like fun. Maybe at the…?"

"Boathouse." The blonde finished her sentence for her.

After dinner, they cleaned up and changed into swimming attire. Santana lowered the dinghy into the water while Brittany and Steph loaded the cooler with beer and ice. They, along with Quinn, who had grabbed a radio for the trip, joined Santana in the small boat and they were quickly on their way to Mattox Creek.

A little while later, the group arrived at the boathouse and tied up. Santana and Brittany pulled the cooler up onto the dock while Quinn set up the radio. They all enjoyed a few beers, talked, and finally made their way into the water to swim.

For most of the day, the two couples had remained a bit tipsy. Between the mimosas in the morning, the drinks with lunch and the wine with dinner, everyone seemed to be pretty buzzed. And, of course, when you're a little 'tipsy,' your inhibitions always disappear.

"How bout a game of "I Never'?" Steph asked as he finished another beer. Everyone looked around, caught a little off-guard.

"Okay." The girls said as they shrugged their shoulders. Quinn grabbed a beer for everyone from the dock and went back into the water.

"Alright, I'll start." Steph said. "Never have I ever…done a strip tease." Quinn drank, while everyone but Steph looked at her in surprise.

"Oh, it was a few nights ago," she said, looking a Steph with an embarrassed smile. "Long night, long story." Steph said.

"Okay…" Santana started. "Never have I ever…kissed a girl." She said as she looked at Brittany.

Everyone drank and again, looked at Quinn with surprise. "Whaaaaat?"

"What girl did you kiss, Quinn?" Steph asked.

"Yeah, who is it? I have to know!" Brittany added.

"Umm, well, ya know, it doesn't matter."

"Uhh, yes it does!" Santana said. "Come on…tell uuuusss."

"Okay okay, it was…Rachel."

"What? Rachel Berry? That Rachel?" Brittany said with a laugh.

"Hey…we were drunk. Crazy stuff always happens when you're drunk. Besides, she's a pretty good kisser."

The two couples continued to drink and continued to play late into the night. Brittany was on the dock grabbing another round of beer for everyone when it was Steph's turn. "Never have I ever…gone skinny dipping."

The blonde threw a beer to each that were in the water and all three took a swig of their beer as an answer to Steph's question. Brittany hadn't been drinking for most of the night because she hadn't done a lot of the things that had been thrown out there in the game. She opened her beer and set it on the edge of the dock. _"What the hell." _She said to herself as she took off her shirt and bikini top. She undressed to everything but her bottoms.

Steph, Quinn, and Santana, who had been chatting in the water while the blonde contemplated her disrobement, looked up to see an almost naked Brittany. Santana quickly looked down and gulped. She had never seen Brittany naked before, at least not **this**naked.

The blonde dove into the water, surfacing just next to Santana a few seconds later. "Hey." she said to her girlfriend, grabbing her beer and taking a swig. "I just thought I'd join in the game for a change." A very nervous Santana addressed Brittany with something she had never said before. "Brittany….you're…naked."

Brittany smiled as she took off her bikini bottoms under the water and threw them on to the dock. "Well, now I am."

Steph and Quinn started to undress beneath the water, tossing their clothes onto the pier as well. Brittany swam to the edge of the dock to retrieve her beer. Santana was left in the middle of the area where they had been swimming. _"Ahh, what the hell" _she said to herself, taking off her clothes and swimming to where Brittany was.

Santana threw her clothes onto the dock and joined Brittany by the ladder. She pulled the blonde just under the dock, dark enough so Quinn and Steph couldn't see them, but light enough to see each other in the moonlight. Santana rested her beer on a small ledge under the pier and grabbed onto the back end of the ladder so she didn't have to tread water. Brittany, simply stared nervously at the brunette as a familiar song began to play on the radio.  
><strong><br>"Your love is better than ice cream  
>Better than anything else that I've tried<br>"You love is better than ice cream  
>Everyone here knows how to fight…"<strong>  
><strong><br>**Santana put her arm around Brittany's waist and pulled her closer. Both girls felt the shock between them, for this was the first time they had been completely naked in front of each other, bodies touching. Santana wrapped her leg around the end of the ladder to support the two and used a free hand to brush a few strands of wet hair from the blonde's face. She cupped Brittany's cheek and brought her face inches from her own.

**"It's a long way down  
>It's a long way down<br>To the place we've started from…"**

Brittany wrapped an arm around Santana's neck and the other she placed softly on the small of her back. Their feet touched beneath the water that rippled around them. Santana slowly brushed Brittany's bottom lip with her thumb, replacing her finger with a soft, seductive, kiss.

**"Your love is better than chocolate  
>better than anything else that I've tried<br>Ohh love, is better than chocolate  
>Everyone here knows how to cry…"<strong>

Brittany deepened the kiss as she pushed Santana against the ladder, entwining her legs with the brunette's. She pulled away only to whisper in Santana's ear. "I love you."

The Latina pulled a little further away to see Brittany's blue eyes in the moonlight. She rubbed a little water with her thumb from the blonde's cheek and simply replied, "ditto" before kissing her softly on the lips again.

**"It's a long way down  
>It's a long way down<br>To the place we've started from…"  
><strong>

Steph, who had been making out with Quinn the entire time on the beach close to the dock yelled out, "Never have I ever...been in love!" Quinn playfully pulled him closer to her as they both took a swig of beer.

Brittany smiled and grabbed Santana's beer from the ledge. She took a sip and handed the bottle to Santana, who did the same.


	13. Chapter 13

**This is just a filler, sorry. :( I used to write very short chapters and I can't use this with any others, but it is needed. Thanks for the reviews and alerts, etc. :)**

Santana and Brittany woke early and made breakfast on Brittany's boat. Mid-way through the morning, Brittany went up to the boat yard to check in with the guys while The brunette went to the Dirty Dozen to take Steph and Quinn some leftovers.

"Hey, Pierce! What are you doing here?" Puck asked, setting a down a wrench.

"Just coming up to make sure everything is still standing."

"Haha, Britt, I thought we told you we got this under control."

"Yeah yeah."

Finn came out of the marine store. "Heya, sis."

"Hey Finny." She said, giving her brother a hug.

"Glad you're here. Umm, I know you're spending this week with Santana, but I was just wondering if you're still in for the Poker Run on Saturday."

"Oh shit, I totally forgot about that." Brittany said as she bit on her bottom lip. "Well, yes, I'll be there. Could umm, Santana ride with us?"

Finn looked at Puck.

"She can take my spot." Puck said.

"Are you sure?" Brittany asked.

"Yeah yeah, no problem. I can ride in another boat. It'll be more fun that way anyway." He said with a smirk as he looked at Finn.

"Alright then. Starts at noon, right?" Brittany asked.

"Yep."

Brittany walked toward the docks, hoping Santana would be okay with her plans for Saturday. It was only for a few hours and besides, that day was hers to plan. The blonde smiled as she made a left turn towards the Dirty Dozen where the others were. When she got to the end of the dock, she found Santana on her boat, along with Steph, Quinn, Will, and Emma.

"Hey guys." The blonde said as she boarded the boat, giving her girlfriend a quick peck on the cheek.

"Hey there Brittany." Will said as poke his head up from the engine room.

"Problems with your boat, Santana?"

"No, Will is just checking everything out for us before this weekend."

"Ahh, I see." Any mention of her leaving this weekend just made Brittany cringe.

"So, what are the plans for tonight?" she asked, turning to the brunette.

Santana smiled and took a sip of her coffee. "I'm not telling – it's a surprise."

"Okay, fair enough." Brittany said with a smile. "Oh, before I forget…This Saturday is the Poker Run. Finn signed us up for it in the beginning of the summer and I totally forgot about it until now."

"Yeah, we're signed up for that too." Emma said.

"What's a 'Poker Run'? Steph asked.

Will broke in. "It's basically a day-long game of five-card draw. You know, poker. Everyone meets at the pier at Breadstix's – everyone meaning the boats. There are five people in each boat, one for each stop. From Breadstix, the boats race to five separate spots on the river, retrieving a card from each one. The team with the best poker hand at the end of the day, wins a thousand bucks!"

"That sounds so cool." Santana said.

Brittany turned to her girlfriend. "It is. Anyway, Puck gave up his spot so you could ride with us…if it's something you'd like to do?"

"Oh, definitely. But I don't want him to miss out or anything, Brittany."

"Man, I wish we had have known about this, I would have signed Quinn and I up." Steph pouted sarcastically.

"Actually, this works out perfect. Mike and Tina were riding in our boat, but they're gone now. If you'd like, you and Quinn can ride with us." Emma offered.

Quinn looked at Stephan with an excited smile and then back to Emma. "Yes, we'd really like that."

Later that evening, Santana was preparing her night with Brittany. She knew how to cook, very well, but she didn't know what her girlfriend liked. Earlier that day, Santana had gone to see Finn in the Marine Store.

_"Hey Lopez, how are ya?"_

"_I'm good, thanks. Hey, listen, umm…I need a favor."_

_Sure, what's up?"_

"_Well, I am kinda planning a night for Brittany tonight and dinner is a part of it. I just don't really know what she likes, ya know?"_

"_Well, her favorite food is crab."_

"_I do know that, but we had crabs last night with Steph and Quinn."_

_Finn rubbed his chin as he thought. "Well, she loves chicken corn chowder."_

"_Okay, that's good."_

"_Actually, I think we have a recipe across the street for it. It was our grandmother's specialty. I'll go grab it for ya."_

_Santana smiled. "Okay."_

A few minutes later, Finn handed her a card. "Here ya go."

"_Thanks so much. You're a life saver once again." Santana gave him a hug and headed out the door._

Santana stirred the soup and then lifted the wooden spoon to taste. _"Wow, pretty good" _She said to herself as she placed the pot on the back burner. She looked at the clock that read '6:30.' "Almost time to go."

_"You guys will love the Poker Run." Will said to Steph and Santana. "It's one of the best events of the year around here."_

"_I am looking very forward to it." Steph mumbled as he chewed on some breakfast.  
>Santana turned to Brittany. "Hey, I need to do a few things this afternoon. Will you meet me at the boathouse around, say…7 o'clock tonight?"<em>

"_Sure."_

"_Great." Santana said as she hopped off of the boat. "Oh, and don't eat dinner." The brunette said with a smile before she walked off._

Brittany arrived at the boathouse promptly at seven o'clock. She got out of her dinghy and went onto the pier – no sign of Santana. She checked her watch. _"Maybe she's running late."_she said to herself. Then she noticed a note taped to the ladder at the end of the dock and a beer sitting beside it. The blonde walked down the dock and picked up the piece of paper.

_Hey Brittany,_

Never have I ever…seen the stars.

Love, Santana

Brittany smiled as she read the note. She picked up the beer, opened it and took a sip. The only place she and Santana had seen the stars was on her boat earlier in the summer. Since Santana was no where to be found, the blonde headed there.

Santana poured her homemade soup into two plastic bowls, popped lids on each, grabbed a couple of things from the fridge and made her way off of the boat. She had talked to Puck and Artie earlier in the day as well.

_"Oh, she hates red wine." Artie offered._

"_Yeah, we made the mistake one of getting her this fabulous Shiraz. She hated it." Puck said._

"_Santana, she digs the white stuff. I think her favorite is…" Puck said as he scratched his head trying to remember._

"_Lindeman's." Artie spoke up. "Yeah, Lindeman's Chardonnay. She loves that stuff."_

Brittany tied up her dinghy to the edge of the finger pied, climbed up and boarded her boat. No sign of Santana here either. She walked to the bow of the boat. Nothing. And then she saw the tip of a telescope peeking out from the top of the bridge. The blonde climbed the stairs to the top and found another note, along with a single daisy.

_"She likes roses, yes." Emma said. "But daisies are her favorite. I remember Finn telling me that."_

She picked up the daisy, smelled it, and then read the note.

_Brittany,_

A daisy for my lady.

Love, Me.

The blonde smiled as she set the note down. She put her eye on the telescope that had been facing not the stars, but towards the docks. She peered through the eyepiece, looked through a few boats and saw a lit candle resting on a set of stairs she knew all too well. Brittany left her boat and walked down E dock and made her way towards the Dirty Dozen.

A few minutes later, the blonde was at the foot of a set of stairs she had taken Santana up earlier in the summer. She thought back to that day as she ascended the stairs.

_Santana and Brittany went up the stairs and through a set of doors. It was kind of like a huge attic space. To the left was a little room with a window and some pillows. To the right there were five planks, flesh to each other going all the way back down towards the water. "Follow me, but be careful." Brittany said, looking back at the brunette. Santana nodded, looking down with each step._

"_When Finn and the guys build skiffs in the winter, they use this big space for their blueprints - so they can lay them out to see them better. People also use it for wrapping their sails." _

_Santana listened to Brittany, still walking cautiously. They were walking over top of the dirty dozen back towards the group down below. _

"_Look, Santana. There's your boat." Brittany said, pointing down to the left._

Brittany cautiously walked along the planks, daisy still in hand. When she got to the opening above the water, she looked around in awe. There were candles lit everywhere, along with a couple dozen daisies scattered along the floor. Two pillows were set across from each other and a bottle of her favorite wine and two glasses sat in the middle, along with another note.

_Brittany,_

Your two favorite places in Lima Point and mine. You've shown me the best of it all. I love you.

Santana

The blonde sat down as she read the note again. Never in a million years did Brittany think she'd ever meet anyone that could make her feel like this. She looked around at the flowers and candles, with the hugest smile on her face.

Santana had been walking the planks slowly and watching her girlfriend the entire time with a smile on her face as well. She crept up as softly as she could and knelt behind the blonde. "Hi." She whispered in Brittany's ear. Brittany looked down and smiled, knowing it was Santana behind her.

"Santana, this…this is amazing." The blonde said as she looked around again at everything.

Santana sat down in front of Brittany, set down the bowl of soup she had been carrying and opened the bottle of wine. After pouring each of them a glass, Santana opened the container of soup and handed the blonde a spoon. "I hope you're hungry."

"Well you did tell me not to eat, so yes I am." Brittany said with a sarcastic tone. After taking a taste, her eye's widened. "This is just like—"

"Your grandmother's recipe." Santana smiled. "I got it from Finn."

The two girls enjoyed the small dinner across from each other as they bantered about their day. When the soup was gone, Santana got up to sit next to Brittany.

"Santana, you thought of everything. Dinner, the wine…the daisies. How did you know?"

"I talked to guys today…and Emma."

_For some reason, Santana slowly grabbed Brittany's hand and held it. Both girls, feet still dangling, faces softly smiling, stared out straight ahead to the water. Neither one said anything. Neither one knew why they were holding hands, but it felt right for both of them. Finally Brittany broke the silence._

Santana slowly entwined Brittany's fingers with her own. "I just wanted to do something that you would… you know, remember."

Brittany let a soft smile escape her lips as she looked down. The blonde pulled the hand she was still holding into her lap, grasping it a little tighter. The two girls finished the bottle of wine and started on another. They talked all night, hand in hand, arm in arm.

**"Too many sad days  
>Too many Tuesday mornings<br>I thought of you today  
>I wished it was yesterday mornings..."<strong>

"But I knew that you  
>with your heart a beatin' and<br>your eyes shining  
>would be dreaming of me,<br>lying with you on a Tuesday morning..."

Brittany looked out onto the moonlit water and thought of the girl next to her.

**"I fell through the window  
>and I found that I was still breathing<br>I thought of tomorrow  
>and the fear that you might leave me..."<strong>

"I thought of tomorrow and I  
>wished it was Monday evening..."<p>

Santana thought of Brittany as she layed in her arms.

**"Turn your page from me  
>I will cover myself with sorrow<br>And held out upon me  
>I must surrender my heart to sorrow<br>And held out upon me,  
>I must say goodbye tomorrow..."<strong>

_"Wanna go swimming?" she asked the brunette._

"_Yes, that'd be nice."_

"_Ok, on the count of three. One. Two…"_

"_Wait! We're gonna jump from up here?" Santana asked with concern._

"_Yeah, why not?"_

"_Well, it's high up, that's gotta be like 25 feet at least!"_

"_Yeah. Actually it's about 30. And it's fun." Brittany took Santana's hand into her own. "Ready?"_

"_Alright, alright. I'll go." Santana said, trying to hide the fact that she was a little scared._

_Brittany counted "One."_

"_Two." Santana said._

"_Three!" both said in unison, as they jumped into the water below. _

Neither one of them wanting to ruin the moment, both looked at each other and, almost in unison, said, " Wanna go for a swim?"

It seemed they were both in agreement. The two girls stood up and locked hands. Santana gave Brittany a quick kiss on the lips.

"One."

"Two."

"Three!"

**"But I know that you  
>with your heart a beatin' and<br>your eyes shining  
>will be dreaming of me,<br>lying with you on a Tuesday morning..."**

They jumped into the water from above and swam until the sun rose, both looking forward to another day with each other.

.


	14. Chapter 14

Santana woke up the next morning in an unfamiliar bed. 'Where the hell am I?' she thought to herself, temporarily forgetting the entirety of last night's events.

_"Wow, I think I am pruning." Santana said as she rubbed her fingers together." How long do you think we've been swimming?"_

"_A while. How bout we go in for the night?"_

_The brunette smiled. "Sounds like a plan."_

_The two girls climbed up the ladder, stealing a few kisses along the way. Brittany unlocked the poker room beside the gas dock and grabbed her and Santana a couple of towels._

"Man, I need a shower after that swim." Santana said she wrapped her towel around her waist.

"_Well, I'd offer you a shower on my boat, but I don't have one."_

"_Yeah, and Steph and Quinn are taking the boat for the night." The brunette replied as she grabbed two beers from the cooler outside the door. "I don't want to wake them up."_

Brittany took a beer Santana had offered and quickly thought of a plan. "Well, we can just go to my house for the night." She gave the Latina a quick kiss on the cheek and headed out the door.

"_Wha- what?" Santana stuttered from behind._

_Brittany turned around. "We can go to my house. Shower. Sleep. And hey, we can even sleep 'in'. You know how loud the docks get in the morning…"_

"_But what about your parents?"_

"_What about them?"_

"_Well, I just…"_

"_What?"_

"_Well, I just thought…ya know, we could like cuddle and stuff." Santana said shyly. "I wanna cuddle._

_Brittany tilted her head and giggled. "So what's the problem?"_

"_Don't you think your parents might be a little weirded out if you brought a girl home and cuddled?"_

_Brittany laughed. "Santana, my parents know about you. You're not just some girl. And they are hippies – nothing weirds them out."  
><em>

Santana sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes, slightly pissed off that the bright sun piercing through the blinds next to her had woken her up. Deciding she was not yet ready to get out of bed, she plopped back down and drowned herself in the covers. She felt the space next to her. _'Warm.' _She thought. _'Brittany must have just woken up.'  
><em>

_"Brittany, are you sure about this?" Santana asked as she climbed into a dinghy the blonde had snagged from the end of the dock. "I can wait to take a shower. We can just-"_

_Brittany cut her off. "Santana, get in. It'll be fine." _

_With reassurance, the brunette got in and found a comfortable, familiar spot next to Brittany. She entwined her hands with the blonde. "Okay, let's go."_

Santana turned in the bed. '_Grrrrrrr'_ she thought to herself. She wondered why Brittany was even awake before she was. 'Why couldn't I have woken up first? Brittany never wakes up early. _'Grrrrrr_.'

_"Brittany, I know you're more of the 'water' person than I am, but isn't it like 'illegal' to be out here without lights on out this thing?"_

"_You're not required to have lights on small watercraft, but you're also not supposed to be on the water after dusk without them either. So, I dunno really."_

"_What if we get hit by a boat, Brittany?" _

"_Ahh, we won't silly. I know these waters like the back of my hand. Anyway, if it'll make you feel any better, there's a spotlight up front. You can be in charge of that." The blonde smiled._

Santana found a spot on Brittany's lap and held the small spotlight straight ahead to look for any obstacles in the way. The blonde wrapped her left arm around hr girlfriend's waist, holding her close as she navigated the prop with her right. The two traveled by dinghy underneath the familiar bridge that led them to Mattox Creek, through the curvy waters that followed, and finally made it to the small opening that led to the T-Dock.

The brunette was definitely awake now, but not wanting to get up at all. She could hear Brittany and her parents talking in the other room. '_Do_ _they_ _know_ _I'm_ _here_?' she thought as she squinched her nose and stared at the ceiling.

_Brittany secured the dinghy to the small dock and helped Santana up. "Brittany, are you sure about this?" Santana was hesitant to follow Brittany into her house._

"_Yes, silly. My parents are in bed, no worries." _

"_Okay." The brunette tucked her a few stands of hair behind her ear and grabbed Brittany's hand to follow her. The blonde led her girlfriend up a small path from the water, past a few trees, and to her house._

They showered separately at opposite ends of the house - Santana doing so in Brittany's bathroom. When she was done, she emerged into the blonde's bedroom, clean in a tank top and boxer shorts Brittany had lent her. Brittany, who had been catching up on some long overdue email, turned around from her desk to see Santana.

"_Hey you. Feel better?"_

"_Much." Santana said, sitting on Brittany's lap. "Tired though."_

_The blonde nodded with a yawn. "Me too."_

Santana crawled into bed behind Brittany and spooned her from behind. She kissed the blonde on the cheek before whispering a soft "I love you." in her ear.

_Brittany smiled softly to herself as she grabbed Santana's hand and entwined her fingers with her own. "I love you too." Both girls, so tired from swimming and in much need of rest, fell asleep quickly in each others arms and, by Santana's definition, cuddled._

Brittany came into the bedroom with a fresh cup of coffee for Santana. "Good morning sleepyhead."

The brunette laughed at the irony. "Haha, since when do you get up at a decent hour?" Santana smiled as she took a sip of her coffee.

Brittany sat on the bed beside her. "Since I have something to wake up to in the morning." She winked at the Latina and touched her free hand. "Come on, my parents want to meet you."

"Is it the only way out of the house?" Santana asked with a boo-hiss.

"Yep."

"Okay then." Santana got up, checked herself in the mirror, and followed Brittany out and into the dining room.

Brittany's parents perked up from their newspaper and coffee when the girls emerged from the bedroom. Brittany's dad turned to her mom and whispered with a smile, "Now I know what all the fuss is about."

Brittany's parents had adored Santana. Brittany's mom left for work shortly after Santana had emerged from the bedroom. Before leaving, she had offered a welcomed introduction and 'nice to meet you' to the brunette. Brittany, her dad, and Santana spent the better part of the morning fishing on the dock behind the house. The brunette chatted freely and with comfort with Brittany's father and, yet again, was surprised with how well she seemed to fit in with Sandy Point.

They cleaned and cooked the fish they had caught for lunch. Brittany's mother had returned to join them on her lunch hour. The foursome sat on the back porch and ate.

"Mr. and Mrs. Pierce, you have a beautiful home." The Latina said as she looked out at the water."

"Oh Santana, " Brittany's mom patted her on the hand. "No need for formalities. You can call me Jenny." She smiled as she whispered to her husband. "Very polite she is, big points for her."

Brittany's father gave an uneasy, yet reassuring smile as if to say to his wife 'whispering is rude.' He looked up at Santana and offered a sincere smile. "Yes, and you can call me Danny."

Jenny whispered again to her husband. "Look how happy Brittany looks."

Danny patted his wife on the leg as he said quietly through his teeth. "Stop whispering, honey." She momentarily agreed, re-focusing her attention to Santana.

"So, Santana. You are from Chicago, right?" With a full mouth of food, the brunette just nodded with a smile. Brittany's mother continued with her game of twenty questions.

"And what do you do there?"

Santana finished her food. "I'm a psychologist. I have my own practice in the downtown area."

Jenny turned to her husband and, again, whispered. "Oh honey, she's a doctor. More points for her!"

Brittany uneasily looked at her father as if she were asking for some type of help. She then looked at Santana with apologetic eyes. "Soooo…." Danny broke in. "What are you girls doing for the rest of the day?" He looked between the two girls.

"I'm not sure." Santana said, glancing to Brittany, remembering that it was the blonde's turn to plan the day. "It's still up in the air I think. Whatever it is, I'm sure it will be fun."

Jenny noticed the intimate glance that her daughter and Santana had just shared. "Oh Santana, I have never seen Brittany this happy! I'm so glad you—"

"Mom!" "Jenny!" Brittany and her father said in unison.

After lunch, the girls helped Brittany's parents clean up and decided to head on back to the marina side of town. Danny and Jenny walked the girls to the dock. Brittany's mom grabbed Santana in a hug. "Oh, it was so nice to meet you, dear. Come back whenever you like. You're always welcome. Mi casa es—"

"Mom!"

Danny gave her a hug as well. "It was very nice to meet you Ms. Lopez. I hope to see more of you around here in the future."

Brittany and Santana got in the small dinghy and headed out toward the marina. They slowed down as they passed underneath the small bridge that led to Mattox Creek. Santana, who was hand in hand with Brittany, looked at the blonde. "You're parents are, I dunno…awesome."

"I told you - they're hippies. Hippies are always awesome."

They got back to the marina just after two. Brittany suggested that they split up for the rest of the afternoon as she had a lot of things to do in preparation for her night with Santana. The brunette reluctantly gave in and both girls agreed to meet up later that evening.

Santana spent her free time with Steph on their boat. They cleaned and organized to prepare for their trip back north. Brittany dropped by the yard to say hi to the guys and helped Finn with a few things in the office. Brittany looked down at her watch. _"Damn,"_ she said to herself. "I've gotta get going, bro. Will you be around later? I may need your help with a few things."

"I'm always here, sis. Catch me in the yard after work."

"Okay, sounds good." With that, the blonde was out the door. She looked at her watch again. She had a few hours until she had to meet up with Santana, but she had a big night planned and would need help from the guys in order to pull it off in time - and without Santana knowing.

Brittany ran up to the store and picked up a few small things she needed and then headed back to her parent's house. She drove up and found her mom and dad on the front porch. "Hey honey, where's Santana?" Danny asked his daughter.

"She's back at the marina. I can't stay long, I actually wanted to know if I could borrow the Durango."

"Well sure honey, but what for?"

"Umm, well, I need the row boat for the night, but I am not rowing it all the way to the marina from here – that would take hours."

"Yes it would." Brittany's mom added. "Are you, uhh, planning a special night for Santana, dear?"

Danny and Brittany both looked at Jenny, rolled their eyes, and then looked back at each other.

Keys are in the truck. I'll go grab the row boat for you."

Brittany smiled. "Thank you." She looked back at her mom before going to the truck. "And yes, Mom, I am planning something special for Santana tonight."

Jenny waited until her daughter turned back around to do a secret happy dance.

Brittany left her parent's house and headed back to the marina. She found the guys in the yard, as expected.

"Hey Pierce," She heard rumble from the trio.

She hurriedly replied. "Hey. You guys are taking the rest of the day off."

Finn looked up at the blonde. "But it's not even three yet."

"I know. You can stay on the clock – I don't care, but Santana is leaving in three days and I need your time more than this marina does right now. No arguing."

Finn, Puck, and Artie looked at Brittany and nodded.

"Okay, what do you need us to do?" Artie asked.

Four hours later and only 3 minutes tardy, Brittany arrived at Santana's boat as they had planned. "Hey you." Santana said from the bow as the blone climbed on board. Santana greeted Brittany with a kiss on the lips. "So, what are the plans for tonight?"

The blonde smiled. "I can't tell you that yet. I can tell you, though, that you are going to need something warm to wear and…" Brittany looked at her girlfriend's bare feet. "…tennis shoes."

"Okay, anything else?" Santana asked.

"Nope, I think that's it."

"Alright, well lemme go grab something and I'll be ready."

Brittany was hoping Santana would need to go down to her cabin to get something warmer. She smiled to herself. _This may just work._

The blonde turned Santana's VHF radio on and the volume up. She set the channel on 16, left a note on the bow, and hurried off the boat before she came up from the cabin. Once Santana did emerge, she noticed there was no sign of Brittany. She heard her radio going off on the bridge. "Pretty Eyes to Short Stuff, over."

Santana picked up the radio. "Brittany, where the hell did you go?" The brunette looked around the marina from her boat for her girlfriend.

The blonde smirked on the other side of the radio with Puck, Finn and Artie around her. "Why the cussing? Over."

"Brittany Pierce, I have waited all afternoon to see you and I did, for what – like two seconds? And now you're gone again! OVER."

"Woah, she sounds pissed." Artie said.

"She's not pissed, she's just frustrated." Brittany replied, then holding the radio up to her mouth. "Well, now you know how I felt last night. Over."

Santana smiled. "Okay, you got me there. So what are we doing? Over."

"Santana, you'll see me soon enough. I left a note for you on the bow. I gotta go, I love you."

"Brittany? Britt-?"

When Santana didn't get a reply, she knew either her girlfriend had turned her radio off or wasn't responding for a reason. Frustrated, she went to the bow to retrieve the note that Brittany had left.

The blonde and the guys watched with binoculars from the office. "She just read the note." Puck said.

"Okay, you guys remember everything right? You know what you're doing? Oh, and Puck, don't forget to—"

Finn butted in. "We got it, sis. You need to go – we'll see you later."

Brittany smiled. "Okay." She hugged the trio. "Thanks again for this."

The brunette read the note again.

_Santana,_

When the tide is high, Pathfinder won't lead you home.

Brittany

P.S. Sorry for leaving so soon. xoxo

"What the hell is this note supposed to mean? No 'I love you'? No 'go to blah blah blah and I'll be there'?" Santana secretly cursed Brittany before regaining her composure. She mumbled to herself once again. "Okay. _Pathfinder_, that is Finn's boat. I need to go there I guess."

The brunette made her way down the docks in search of the _Pathfinder_, but quickly realized she had no idea where Finn actually docked his boat. She saw Emma and her husband to the left, gassing up their boat. She ran down to them. "Hey guys."

"Well hey honey, how are ya?"

"I'm good. Look, do you know where Finn keeps his boat?"

"Which one, sweeite? He has about twenty."

"_Pathfinder_. The big one." Santana motioned with her arms, still clinging Brittany's note in her hand.

"Oh yes." Emma replied. "It's down on the other side, on D-Dock…slip 210 I believe."

Santana started running in the direction of Emma's finger before even saying goodbye.

The brunette ran down the pier again, noticing on the way that it was getting dark…the sun was starting to set. Santana got to D-Dock in no time, and found slip 210. Instead of Finn's boat, however, there was a small row boat tied up in it's place with a note on the back bench. She hopped down into the small boat and picked up the note.

_Santana,_

Tonight is about remembering, tomorrow about not forgetting. Steer straight and turn left under the dock for a trip down memory lane.

Love,  
>Brittany<p>

Santana folded the note and tucked it into her back pocket as she had done with the first. She untied the single rope securing it to the dock, grabbed an and slowly began to row forward.

_"Finn, when's low tide?" Brittany asked her brother as she checked her charts in the office._

"_7:23."_

"_Awesome. Sunset is at 7:45 tonight. This will work perfect. She'll be able to clear the underside of the docks and still be able to see the sunset when she's through."_

Once under the pier, she had a bit of a time making the turn. "Damnit, Brittany. At least I made it easy for you." She finally made the turn and noticed arrows above her, taped to the underside of the dock. Santana followed the arrows straight for a few minutes until she got to one directing her to turn right. She made the turn and looked up and around her in awe.

_"You want me to do what?" Puck asked Brittany._

"_I want you to take this camera and take pictures of everyone in the marina that Santana met this summer."_

"_For what?"_

"_Don't worry about 'for what'. Just do it. You ARE getting paid for this." Brittany smiled.  
><em>

There were white Christmas lights tacked above her, along the entire length of the underside of the dock. Lit candles had been placed on the ledges to her left and right. Santana realized she was underneath the large dock she had spent so many of her nights on this summer. She kept on slowly along the semi-wide path, admiring her surroundings along the way. As she stared at the lights above her, something lightly tapped her face.

Santana ceased rowing, turned around, and grabbed what had hit her. It was a Polaroid of Finn and Artie working in the yard, taped to a string.

_Brittany smiled as she and Finn tacked the pictures underneath the dock. "You're nuts, you know that, right?" Finn said as she cut another piece of string and handed it to his sister._

"_I am not!" She hissed, looking at her brother. She looked up to pin up another stringed-photo and added. with a shrug and a smile "I'm just in love."  
><em>

Santana turned back around to find dozens of photos, strung in a line along her path. She started moving again, pulling them down along the way. There was one of Will, Emma and Sue holding a beer bong. There was one of Sam and Mercedes and Tina and Mike, all with margaritas in hand. Santana smiled when she got to the picture of Kurt, Rachel, and Blaine. Rachel was, of course, flashing her flamboyant smile while the others stood smug, pretending to be annoyed by her.

Santana got to the last picture just before emerging from under the dock. It was of her and Brittany, taken at sunrise earlier in summer. The Latina smiled as a tear began to build up in her eye. She touched the picture with her fingertips before flipping it over to find another Pierce-written message. _'Never forget us.' _was all it said.

"Fuck, I didn't make you cry either, Brittany!"

She got to the end of her path beneath the docks and found one last thing tacked at the very end. Santana pulled it down as she emerged from just under the gas dock. It was a map with another note tucked in it. Again, she read.

_Santana,_

Hop in the dinghy, turn on the radio, and follow the map. You'll see me soon.

I love you,  
>-B<p>

Santana started the small engine on the dinghy. She looked at the map, which had arrows pointing to where she needed to go. She had learned the waters well this summer and knew she wasn't going far. She knew she was headed to Mattox Creek.

She went under the bridge and soon found a faint light ahead of her. She was close. She slowed her speed down as a familiar voice came across the radio. "Pretty Eyes to Short Stuff, over."

Santana picked up the radio and giggled. "This is Pretty Eyes. Is that you in front of me?"

"No, but you'll see me at your next stop. Bring the radio with you." A disappointed Santana obliged, though she wanted to see her girlfriend.

Santana slowly pulled up to her destination on the map to find Artie on a small dock with  
>a jet ski. "Hey Lopez! How are you?"<p>

"I'd be damn better if I could see Brittany right now, but—"

"Ahh, shut your hole, sweetie. We're going there now." He started his jet ski and motioned Santana to get into the tube that was tied behind him.

Artie flew through the curvy waters of Mattox Creek just at sunset with Santana behind him, swaying left and right. He went under the smaller bridge Brittany had introduced to her earlier in the week and into the vast lake in front of her parent's house.

_"Okay, and I need you and Puck to pull the floating dock out in the middle of the lake." Brittany instructed to the two guys. "I'll do the rest." _

_The blonde continued. "And I need you to bring her there on your jet ski." She pointed at Artie, filling him in on the rest of her plans.  
><em>  
>Artie pulled up to the floating dock in the middle of the lake with Santana in tow. The brunette climbed out of the tube and onto the dock to greet Brittany. She was so happy to see the blonde she hadn't noticed her surroundings.<p>

There was a table set for two with candles lit all around. Rose petals covered the table and the large square dock, music played in the background. Brittany pulled back from Santana's embrace. "Hi."

"Hi." The Latina replied, giving her girfriend an intimate kiss on the lips.

Finn pulled up to the island dock in a row boat and delivered dinner to the girls. "Dinner is served." He said with a Mr. Belvidere accent.

The girls laughed as he tied the row boat to the dock. "Well, I'll see you guys later." With that, he dove head first into the water and began to swim back towards his parents house.

Santana looked at Brittany with a 'what the hell?' expression.

The blonde smiled and simply said, "We're gonna need the boat later."

"Well, that was nice of him."

"Eh," Brittany shrugged with a smirk. "He owed me a favor."

Santana and Brittany enjoyed their dinner by the candlelight. They listened to the soft music that Brittany had asked her parents to play loudly from her house afar. They stole glances and shared smiles under the moonlight.

"This is amazing, Brittany. All of this, is just too much."  
>The blonde smiled. "We're not done yet. Are you finished eating?"<br>"Yep, I am stuffed."  
>"Okay then, we have one more stop to make. Grab that extra bottle of wine on the table." Brittany looked back at Santana before stepping down. "You did bring the radio, right?"<br>Santana confirmed with a nod.  
>Brittany grabbed her bag and smiled as she helped Santana down into the boat, stealing a quick kiss on the cheek along the way.<p>

They rowed rowed to the opposite end of the lake, somewhere Santana hadn't been before. The girls got out, and Brittany pulled the smalled boat far onto land, assuring it wouldn't drift away with the tide. The blonde clasped her hand with Santana's a led her down a narrow path along the water.

To Santana, it seemed like hours they had been walking. For the other, it was a semi-familiar place, as it was a part of her parent's property, but she had never made her way here with someone else before. Still hand in hand, they walked a bit further until they came to a steep cliff-like hill.

"Okay, we're almost there." Brittany said as she turned around. "Can you put the radio an wine in my backpack?"

After Santana obliged, she asked, "Now what?"

"Now we climb."

"Climb?" Santana asked.

"Yes."

"Brittany, it's dark out here. Isn't that, I dunno, like a bad idea or something?"

"No." Brittany kissed her girlfriend on the cheek. "Trust me. Just follow me and don't let go. This rope is strong - we've used it for years."

The girls, using the same thick rope, climbed quickly but cautiously up the steep hill, Brittany first, Santana following behind. In no time, they were at the top. Brittany helped Santana up.  
>"That wasn't so bad, now was it?"<p>

Santana brushed some dirt off of her pants and stood up. "I guess not. So, where are we?"

The blonde led her girfriend a little further, to an opening that overlooked the river. "These are the cliffs of Bluff Point."

_"Artie, can you follow me in your car to the Point? I need to leave the truck up there for later tonight."  
><em>  
>Santana and Brittany hopped on the tailgate of the Durango, which was facing the overlook of the water and the lights of Sandy Point. "This is gorgeous, Brittany. I never knew this was here."<br>"Well, now ya do." AThe blonde said as she clasped her hand with Santana's.

Santana opened the bottle of wine they had brought from dinner as Brittany grabbed a couple of glasses she had snagged earlier from her boat. Santana poured each of them a glass and they toasted the night.

"Santana, will you grab the radio from my bag?"  
>The brunette found the radio and handed it to Brittany, then placed her head softly on the blonde's shoulder.<p>

Brittany smiled as she turned the radio on. "Alright guys, light 'em up."

_Brittany looked at the patrons of the Sandy Point Marina. "Just be there are 10. The guys will fill you in on the rest. Oh, and keep your radios on 16."_

_"Don't worry, Pierce. Finn, Puck, and I are taking the dinghys and others are going seperate so they'll be lots of us out there."_

In the water below, about 40 of the boats normally docked at the Sandy Point Marina lit up in unison to the shape of a heart for Santana and Brittany to see. Santana's jaw dropped as she slowly lifter her head from Brittany's shoulder. She turned to look at her summer girlfriend with a small tear creeping from her eye.

The blonde softly smiled and, with a quiver in her chin, simply said, "Because you have mine, Santana."


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Alright, so here's the latest installment. It took me a little longer than originally thought because I decided to write in part of the 'wanky' scene that was not in the original. I hate writing them, so it took me a while. :) **

**This chapter is kinda long and flips back and forth a lot. Hopefully it is not too confusing, but I have added breaks here and there that may help. Also, I am curious to know how you guys will feel at the end of the chapter with the introduction/mention of Brittany and Santana's sisters. *evil grin***

**OH, AND there are mentions of disposable cameras and no cell phones in this chapter and in coming chapters - please note that I wrote this before all of this awesome technology that we have nowadays and have decided to leave it in the story as I feel it adds some character. :)**

**Errors are mine. Lastly, I will replace CH15 with the content of this chapter in a few days, so be on the lookout for a new update under a Chapter16 title. :)**

**Thanks again for the feedback and follows! Oh, and I am on twitter under whirrrledpeas - in case you would like to offer suggestions. :)**

**-Holly**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 15<strong>

With two coffees in hand, compliments of Brittany's mom, Santana made her way up the steep hill. She found Brittany, still asleep and snoring adorably. Last night had been warm and calm, so the girls had decided to camp out in the bed of the truck.

_Brittany grabbed a few blankets from the front and made a pallet in the back of the Durango. Santana put two pillows on the back hatch that was still down and still facing the water. They layed down on their stomachs and both rested their chins on the tops of their folded hands and looked down at Lima Point._

"It's so peaceful up here." _Santana said, still looking down._

"_Yeah, it is."_

"_I bet crew is back at the marina, partying it up."_

"_Probably." Brittany yawned._

_Santana rolled onto her back. "And I am here with you."_

_The blonde propped herself on an elbow and looked down at her girlfriend with a smile. "Yes, you are."_

_Santana took Brittany's hand and pulled her into a soft kiss. "Let's get some sleep."_

"_That's an amazing idea." The blonde said through a smile as she struggled to keep her eyes open.  
><em>

Santana sat on the back of the hatch, just by Brittany's head and set down their cups. She watched the blonde sleep for a bit. She smiled and brushed a few loose strands of hair from Brittany's face before placing a soft kiss on her cheek, hoping she would wake up. When she didn't, Santana nibbled on her earlobe. When that didn't work, she began tickling. Brittany, with her eyes still closed, started giggling and pulled Santana on top of her. "Morning, sleepyhead."

"Morning." The blonde smiled. "I've been awake this whole time, I just wanted you to touch me."

Santana rolled her eyes. "Sure you were." She reached for the coffee and handed Brittany a cup. "Brought you some java, black of course."

They walked around the cliffs, sipping on their coffee for most of the morning. Around eleven, they went back to the truck, packed up, and headed back to Lima Point. They grabbed lunch in town and Brittany picked up a pizza to drop off at the marina for the guys.

The girls went to Brittany's boat to pick up some clothes. Over the summer, Santana had stayed on the blonde's boat quite often and half of her wardrobe had slowly found a place into the dresser of the main cabin.

"So I was thinking maybe we could go to the beach today and just…" Santana stopped mid-sentence as a topless Brittany turned around, unfolding a shirt to put on. The Latina quickly looked away and gulped. "…relax."

A nonchalant Brittany turned around to the mirror, grabbed a hair tie and began to pull her hair up. She smiled at Santana in the mirror. "Sounds good." The blonde turned around, kissed her girlfriend on the cheek, and went up the stairs that led to the galley.

Santana began mumbling to herself. _Way to act like you've never seen tits before, Lopez._ She looked in the mirror to fix her own hair and noticed her cheeks were still colored crimson. She cocked her head as she continued talking to herself. _The other night, when we skinny dipped, ya know, it was dark. But today, Brittany __**had**__ to show 'em to me bright as day. And well, __**I **__just looked like an idiot._ Santana continued. _Well, at least I wasn't a babbling idiot, of course, because I didn't __**say**__ anything._ She sat down on the bed to regain her composure. _"Damn, am I turned on?"_

The girls hung out on the beach on the north side of town for the better part of the afternoon. They swam a bit, but mostly kept ashore, enjoying margaritas and each other's company under the sun.

Brittany set her glass in the sand before turning to her girlfriend. "So, what are the plans for tonight?"

"Well, I definitely can't top last night, so I was thinking of doing something, I dunno…simple. Just you and me?"

"That's been working so far." Brittany smiled as she grabbed Santana's hand and held it between their towels.

On the other side of town, at the marina, Puck, Artie, and the crew were getting started early with the partying. Finn had made a beer run to the corner market and snagged Jacob as he was leaving work. Quinn, Steph, Emma, Sue, and Rachel blended mixed drinks while Puck unlocked and readied the poker room for an early game with Will, Sam and Mercedes.

Brittany and Santana called it a day on the beach just after sunset. They went for one last dip, loaded the car and headed back to the marina. After showering and chatting amongst the others at the marina, the girls grabbed some beer and headed out, via dinghy, into the waters of Lima Point.

They decided to pick up a bottle of wine and manicotti for dinner from Breadstix and then headed to Fairview beach - the beach they had slept on earlier in the summer, where they had shared coffee and the sunrise. Yes, this was Santana's impromptu venue for the night.

Back at the marina, the festivities went on as night set in. Brittany's parents had shown up earlier to pick up the truck and had quickly been coerced by Finn into joining the fun. Quinn and Co. were busy mixing their fifth round of drinks while Will and Sam steamed crabs and corn for the group on the end of the dock. Kurt, Blaine and Dave eventually made it to the docks as well. It was Friday, but more importantly, it was the last Friday that the seasonal patrons of the marina would be spending there - until next year anyway. Summer was almost over and in an attempt to make it last as long as they could, they would enjoy each other's company until the minute they all had to part ways.

But the thought of everything ending wasn't going through the minds of Santana or Brittany right now. No, they were alone, throwing their own party of two on the sands of Fairview Beach, content that they had each other for another night. The girls had built a small fire after arriving on the beach and were soon feasting on pasta and moscato.

"So, where's Brittany tonight?" Danny asked his nephew.

"Not sure. She and Santana left a bit ago - out on the water somewhere."

Jenny broke in. "You know, I really like that Santana. I haven't seen my daughter this happy in a long time."

"I haven't either Mom, but you know, she's leaving on Sunday."

"Well, that…I didn't know."

Steph and Quinn snuck away from the drunken chaos to spend some alone time with each other. Since the blonde's boat wasn't kept in the busy Dirty Dozen, the two managed to escape undetected by the others. They went just across the bay and moored out with the marina still in sight.

Brittany and Santana sat side by side in front of the fire, backs resting against a log, finishing the rest of their dinner. They fed each other the last of the food and tipped their drinks in toasts to them and to their summer. Glances were stolen and smiles were shared.

**"There's no combination of words  
>I could put on the back of a postcard,<br>No song that I could sing  
>But I could try for your heart<strong>

**Our dreams,**  
><strong>and they are made out of real things<strong>  
><strong>like a shoebox of photographs<strong>  
><strong>with sepia-tone loving"<strong>

They roasted marshmallows. Santana preferred burnt, Brittany liked hers just browned. The girls flirted by the fire and took pictures of each other with disposable cameras they had bought earlier in the day.

Steph and Quinn sat on the swim platform of the blonde's boat, hand in hand, with their feet dangling in the water below. They didn't say much, but instead took in the moment, occasionally brushing shoulders as the natural movement of the waters slowly rolled the boat right, then left.

**"Love is the answer  
>at least for most of the questions in my heart -<br>why we're here, and where do we go  
>and how come it's so hard?<strong>

**It's not always easy**  
><strong>and sometimes life can be deceiving<strong>  
><strong>I'll tell you one thing<strong>  
><strong>it's always better when we're together"<strong>

**"Yeah, it's always better when we're together**  
><strong>We look at them stars when we're together<strong>  
><strong>Well, it's always better when we're together<strong>  
><strong>Yeah, it's always better when we're together"<strong>

At the marina, everyone subconsciously listened to the song coming in over the radio Finn had earlier turned on. With the exception of Artie and maybe one or two others, everyone on the docks tonight was with a companion in some capacity. Sam had Mercedes. Kurt and Blaine canoodled, and Finn was, even though discrete, with Puck. Will and Emma too. They all paid attention to the words as did Steph and Quinn, and Santana and Brittany, who had each brought small radios with them. Not many stations available on the water and all.

**"And all of these moments just might find their way into my dreams tonight  
>But I know that they'll be gone when the morning lights sings<br>And brings new things, but tomorrow night you see  
>That they'll be gone too, too many things I have to do<strong>

**But if all of these dreams might find their way into my day to day scene**  
><strong>I'll be under the impression, I was somewhere in between<strong>  
><strong>With only two, just me and you<strong>  
><strong>Not so many things we got to do<strong>  
><strong>Or places we've got to be<strong>  
><strong>We'll sit beneath the mango tree, now…"<strong>

But of everyone in Lima Point, the four that would be changed the most come Sunday, were enjoying life freely on the water. Quinn and Stephan went swimming from the boat while Santana and Brittany playfully flirted with each other, engaging in a marshmallow fight and wrestle match by the fire.

**"I believe in memories  
>They look so, so pretty when I sleep<br>And when I wake up, you look so pretty sleeping next to me  
>But there is not enough time<br>There is no song I could sing  
>There is no combination of words I could say<br>But I tell you one thing, we're better together…"**

Steph and Quinn treaded water just inches in front of each other. "I love you." they said under the moonlight.

* * *

><p>A slender woman trekked barefoot down the docks of Lima Point Marina. She heard the music playing loudly as she passed through the Dirty Dozen and onto the gas dock. "Jeez, you guys never stop around here, do ya?" She said with a smirk. Everyone turned around with surprise.<p>

Finn ran up to the blonde, enveloping her in a hug. "Arizona! What the hell are you doing here?"

"I know, I know, I never come around anymore. But I'm not missing the last weekend of the season for anything!" She made her rounds in the group, introducing herself to the few new people she didn't know. "So big bro, where's my little sis?"

* * *

><p>Santana and Brittany rested their backs on the log that sat in front of the fire as they drank beer and chatted into the night.<p>

"So, I guess you don't see your family much, living in Chicago and all?"

Santana shrugged. "Not really, Florida is a long way from Illinois. But we make visits when we can, ya know?"

"And your sister? Is she there as well?"

"Oh, Callie? No," The brunette laughed. "She's all over the world, never know where she's going next. She sends me e-mails from time to time telling me she's in Egypt or Paris or wherever. The last time I heard from her, she was somewhere in Spain."

"She sounds fun, spontaneous."

"Oh, that she is. The girl is crazy." Santana cracked two more beers and handed one to her girlfriend. "Sometimes I wish I were more like her."

"How's that?"

"I don't know. The spontaneity - I wish I could just pick up every now and then and just go somewhere without caring."

"Well, I can relate to that. I've been to a lot of places and loved them, but I always end up back here. Lima Point will always be my home."

"Well, it's isn't so hard to see why. I love it here."

"But as far as picking up and just going… it's all about what you need in your life…" The blonde looked at Santana. "…and what you love." She said, looking down at the beer she had been holding in her lap.

The Latina broke the silence. "So, what about you? Any other siblings aside from Finn?"

"One, her name is Arizona. She's been in New York for about five years now. She comes around when she can."

"Older or younger?"

"Older."

"Is she as gorgeous as you?" Santana bluntly asked.

"Uhh, well…she is, I don't kno-"

Santana stood up and grabbed Brittany's hand. "So she's not?"

A blushing Brittany could only smile. "Arizona and I look not nothing alike. She's a lot prettier than me."

"Ah, that is impossible." Santana pulled the blonde up and close to her. "I've seen you, so I know she couldn't be half as sexy as you are." _Where did that come from, Lopez? _She kissed Brittany on the cheek. "Hey, there are some blankets and a couple of pillows in the dinghy. Could you make a pallet for us? I'm gonna go grab some kindling for the fire."

"Sure. Wait - what the hell is a pallet?"

"You know, like a spread or something for us to sleep on?"

Brittany smiled. "Oh. Yeah, I knew that."

The blonde spread out the pillows and blankets to the right of the fire, sat down and opened the bottle of wine they had bought earlier. Santana returned shortly with a few small logs in her arms. "This should cover us for the night." She said as she gently tossed the wood into the fire before grabbing a spot next to Brittany on the blanket.

The girls sat, side by side. With knees bent and feet dug firmly into the dry sand, they talked more as they passed the bottle between them. When the wine was gone and the fire began to settle down, Brittany suggested they call it a night. Santana agreed. The girls got under the blankets. Brittany gave the brunette a kiss on the cheek as they exchanged goodnights with each other. The blonde, who had her back to the fire, spooned Santana from behind.

Back at the marina, the late-niters kept partying. Arizona hung out with her brother and Artie for most of the night, drinking beer while catching up on all that she had missed throughout the summer. The trio sat on the edge of the dock and talked.

"So, this Santana girl…is she nice? What does she look like?"

"Aww man, Arizona - she's a hottie!" Artie quickly spoke up. "And she's so sweet and I think she really likes Brittany."

"You **think** she does, or she **does**? There's a big difference."

Finn cracked open another beer. "Oh no, she loves Brittany. I am sure of that."

The blonde smiled. "That's all I need to know. I can't wait to meet her!"

"Well you'll have to do it sometime this weekend. She and Steph are leaving on Sunday."

"What, leaving like going on a trip?"

Finn chugged on his beer a bit more. "No, leaving as in going back to Chicago."

Arizona's smile faded a bit in confusion. "Chicago?"

"That's where Santana lives. She came in earlier this year, was only supposed to stay a few nights." Artie explained.

Finn joined in. "A few nights turned into a few weeks,"

Artie took over again. "Next thing ya know, they stayed the whole summer."

"I see. And who's Steph again?"

The two guys looked at each other, realizing it would be a long night explaining the crazy events of the summer to Arizona.

Finn started. "Okay, here's the semi-short version…"

An hour later, Brittany and Santana were both still awake, but neither had moved from their spots on the blanket. In an attempt to see if Brittany was sleeping, Santana lightly rubbed the hand that had been holding her with her own. She softly ran the tips of her fingers along the backside of Brittany's hand, up her arm, and slowly back down again. The blonde responded by pulling Santana closer. "Still awake?" she whispered in her ear.

Santana rolled onto her other side to face Brittany. "Yes, still awake." she replied with a soft smile. "Hey, let's go swimming."

"You want to go swimming **now**?" Brittany asked.

The brunette stood up, pulling her hair quickly into a messy ponytail. "Yes, I do."

Brittany sat up, pulling the blanket over her knees and pretended to whine. "But, it's like two o'clock in the morning, Santana."

The Latina looked down at her girlfriend and smiled matter-of-factly. "Well Brittany, you aren't asleep so you must not be tired."

"I know."

"Alright then," Santana pulled Brittany up and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "let's go." The girls changed into their swimsuits and quickly made their way to the water.

* * *

><p>"Okay, so Santana and Steph came here," Arizona pointed down as if to refer to 'here' as Lima Point. "…then they broke up. Now Steph is with Fabray, Santana is with Brittany, but they're both leaving on Sunday?" Arizona turned to Artie and her brother who looked at each other.<p>

Artie spoke up. "Yeah, that's about right."

"Well, that's not good…for Brittany, I mean."

"Not at all." Finn said as he grabbed another round of beer from the dock store.

"Wait, wait, wait. If Quinn is with this guy Steph, then where's Sam?"

"He's been hanging out with Mercedes - some girl from up the river."

"Oh! My friend from Occoquan. She's a lot of fun. She and Sam really hit it off last summ-"

"Wait, you **knew** about that?" Finn narrowed his eyes.

The blonde smiled with a devilish look. "Who do you think set them up?"

The two guys chuckled. "Arizona, you're baaad."

"I know, but you love me." She lit a cigarette. "Ugh, where is Brittany- I wanna see her!"

"Still out on the water with Santana I guess. They were here earlier for a little bit." Artie shrugged.

* * *

><p>"Hurry up, Brittany!" Santana called from the river. "The water is sooo warm."<p>

"I'm coming, I coming. I just don't want to get my hair wet!" Brittany yelled as she pulled her hair up. Slowly, but surely, she made her way in the water to meet her girlfriend. The brunette handed her a beer. "Since when are you all primpy and stuff?" Santana teased.

"I'm not being primpy, I just don't want to get my hair wet." Brittany smiled and then faced the river. "It's so nice out tonight."

Santana moved closer to the blonde and looked out into the river as well. "Yeah, it really is."

* * *

><p>"Oh, I almost forgot, the Poker Run is tomorrow." Finn said.<p>

"That's tomorrow?" Arizona asked.

"Yep. And we're sooo gonna win this year, as always." Artie said not so humbly. "Arizona, if you want to play, I am sure there is boat somewhere here that needs someone."

"Yeah, I think Will and Emma's team is still one short." Finn added.

"That sounds fun. I'll most definitely be there."

* * *

><p>Santana turned to face Brittany, who was still looking out into the water. She turned the blonde toward her and wrapped her arms around her neck. She looked into Brittany's eyes, then at her lips, then into her eyes again.<p>

"Santana, what are you thinking?"

The brunette smiled softly. "I-" She stopped. Forgetting what had wanted to say at the moment, Santana did the only thing she could think of. She kissed the girl in front of her.

Arizona dangled her feet off the side of the pier. "So guys, you think our sister and Santana are doing the dirty yet?"

"Oh, definitely!" Artie piped in.

"No way." Finn refuted. "Brittany is Santana's first girlfriend. There's no way they are having, ya know...sex."

"I disagree." Artie said as he stood up. "Hey, I'll even put twenty bucks on it. If they haven't already done it, they will by the time Santana leaves."

"You're on." Finn said, extending his hand to Artie to seal the bet. As they shook hands, Finn pulled Artie enough for him to fall into the water.

"You suck!" Artie said as he wiped water from his eyes. "Arizona, get him for me!"

The blonde just smirked as she looked at her brother. "Sorry, Finny." She said before pushing him in as well.

Arizona got up, grabbed a six pack of beer from the ship store and flung it into the water.

"You coming in or what, sis?"

"What, did you think I came all the way down here just to see you guys?" With a smile, a running start, and a 'yoo-hoo', she landed a cannon-ball right between her brother and Artie in the waters below.

* * *

><p>Santana pulled away from the kiss and smiled mischievously at the blonde. "What?" Brittany asked.<p>

The brunette turned her eyebrows up and looked away toward the beach before slyly returning her eyes back to Brittany.

"Santana, what?" the blonde asked again.

"Nothing." she said quickly before dunking Brittany under the water.

**"A heaven, a gateway, a hope  
>Just like a feeling inside, it's no joke<br>And though it hurts me to treat you this way  
>Betrayed by words, I'd never heard, too hard to say…"<strong>

Brittany emerged from the water and wiped her eyes. "Santana Lopez!"

The Latina, who had distanced herself from her girlfriend, was a few feet away laughing. "Aww, your hair."

Brittany glared playfully at Santana. "You're dead."

**"Up, down, turn around  
>Please don't let me hit the ground<br>Tonight I think I'll walk alone  
>I'll find my soul as I go home…"<strong>

Brittany chased Santana, finally cornering her by a mound of rocks the rested just off shore. "That really wasn't funny."

The brunette smirked. "Well yeah, it kinda was."

"Yeah, maybe a lit-" was all Santana heard before Brittany pushed her head in the water.

**"Each way I turn, I know I'll always try  
>To break this circle that's been placed around me<br>From time to time, I find I've lost some need**  
><strong>That was urgent to myself, I do believe<strong>

**Up, down, turn around**  
><strong>Please don't let me hit the ground<strong>  
><strong>Tonight I think I'll walk alone<strong>  
><strong>I'll find my soul as I go home…"<strong>

The twosome playfully chased and splashed each other in the water. The splashing turned into wrestling and both were, again, dunked in the water a few times. Brittany was about to dip Santana a fourth time when the brunette took her hands and held them with her own. Brittany's face suddenly became serious, yet still held a smile. Santana moved closer as she placed the blonde's hands around her own waist.

**"Oh, you've got green eyes  
>Oh, you've got blue eyes<br>Oh, you've got gray eyes"**

They were a little above waist-deep in the water and their eyes were locked. Both stared at each other for the longest time when something seemed to snap between them. Suddenly, their eyes not only held love and amazement for one another, but an extreme passion as well - an emotion that, until now, each had done their best to withold.

Santana moved even closer and entwined her legs with the blonde under the water. She slowly reached behind to Brittany's neck and untied her bikini top. As the fabric fell in the water, Santana asked with her eyes a silent permission to keep going. Brittany smiled her eyes with a soft quint and answered by slowly removing Santana's top as well. Seconds later, both were bottomless.

**"Oh, you've got green eyes  
>Oh, you've got blue eyes<br>Oh, you've got grey eyes…"**

Whether it was the anticipation of being naked in front of one another or the sexual tension that both girls were feeling, something was the cause of both girls breathing a bit heavier than they normally would. In an instant, they met in a kiss so passionate that both forgot about anything and everything around them.

**"And I've never seen anyone quite like you before  
>No, I've never met anyone quite like you before"<strong>

Still in embrace, Santana reached up to Brittany's hair and took her ponytail down. The blonde's hair fell to meet the water as they continued to kiss. Brittany cupped both of her hands on Santanas's cheeks in effort to bring the brunette closer to her.

**"Bolts from above hit the people down below  
>People in this world we have no place to go…"<strong>

They swayed and swirled playfully, yet passionately in the river, kissing and holding each other. The water rippled around them as they slowly moved closer to shore. With Brittany's legs still wrapped around Santana's waist under the water, the brunette stood up and carried her back to the beach. The kiss that had started minutes ago still had not been broken.

**"Oh, it's the last time  
>Oh it's the last time<br>Oh it's the last time…"**

**"Oh, I've never met anyone quite like you before  
>Oh no, I've never met anyone quite like you before"<strong>

Back at the marina, Arizona, Artie, and Finn were still awake and talking on the end of the gas dock.

"So, what's Stephan like?"

Finn spoke up. "He's awesome, he's a really great guy."

"Yeah, when he realized Santana had feelings for Brittany," Artie paused to take a sip of his beer. "he went to her and was like 'look, I just want you to be happy'."

"Wow." Arizona replied.

"Yeah, but you know, at the time, I think he was beginning to like Quinn, so he wasn't exactly at a loss." Finn said with a laugh as he got up to grab another round of beer.

"He's really amazing, so is Santana." Artie said.

"Damn, why can't I find a guy like that?" the blonde joked.

Finn sat back down, handing each of the others a can. "Well, Artie is still single."

Arizona laughed and looked at Artie, who teasingly winked. "Yeah, I'm a nice guy. What about me?"

The trio broke out in laughter.

"What's all this noise about?"

They looked over their shoulders to see Will and Emma walking up the dock.

"Hey guys." Finn said as she turned back around to sip his beer.  
>"Oh my gosh - Emma! Will!" Arizona got up to hug the couple. "We were just sitting here talking about Santana and Stephan."<p>

Emma and her husband took a seat next to the guys on the dock as Arizona returned to her spot. "Ya know…" Will started, "…Emma and I were thinking maybe we could do something for them tomorrow night, kind of like a going away thing."

"That's a great idea - I'm sure they'd appreciate that." Finn said with an emotionless face.

"Finn?" Artie questioned.

He shrugged his shoulders a bit. "I just don't want them to leave, ya know? Brittany's happy. She's happier than she's ever been in her whole life and she deserves it. But she's not going to be happy when Santana has to leave." He sipped his beer. "I just don't think that should be taken away from her and it's not fair that it will be."

"Can't worry about that right now, Jimmy." Emma said. "What's meant to be, will happen. You, of all people, should know that. Now, go get another round for us so we can talk about what we're doing for the two of them tomorrow night." Emma finished with a smile as Finn's lips slowly, but surely, began to curl upward.

When he returned with the beer, the five friends sat along the dock, feet dangling in the water, and planned for the following night.

"Oh Finn, do you still have those pictures that were in the rowboat from yesterday?"

"The ones I had to tape to the underneath of the damn dock?" he asked.

"Yep, those are the ones."

"Yeah, why?"

"I dunno. Brittany needs them - she's doing something for Santana."

The group questioned Artie with their eyes.

"Girl stuff, I guess?" He answered as he shrugged his shoulders.

* * *

><p>Santana guided Brittany down to the pillow as she pulled the sheet to cover them both. She held herself up with a bent right arm as she tucked her hair behind her ear with the left. Their eyes met in the softest light, fueled by the small fire that still burned beside them. That gaze was held for what seemed to be forever until Santana slowly lowered herself down to kiss Brittany, the rest of her body meeting with the blonde's.<p>

**"I can hear her heart beat for a thousand miles  
>And the heavens open every time she smiles<br>And when I come to her that's where I belong  
>Yet I'm running to her like a river's song…"<strong>

The sensation of the Latina's naked body resting on her own was nothing like Brittany had ever experienced. And too, the brunette could not fully comprehend the extent of the things going through her mind at the moment. It was very new to the both of them, but natural. And oddly enough, shyness and nervousness never found either of the girls.

Weeks of built-up passion and buried desires began to find them in this moment. Quick breaths turned into moans and they knew what was about to happen.

**"She gives me love, love, love, love, crazy love  
>She gives me love, love, love, love, crazy love…"<strong>

The butterflies were burning Santana's insides as she continued to kiss Brittany. The blonde tangled her hands in Santana's hair as she stirred beneath the brunette and the sheet that covered them. As Santana traveled down Brittany's torso, she paused for a moment to admire her girlfriend's skin in the golden light of the fire. She aimlessly traced her fingers along the blonde's stomach and finally down to a few small curls that, until now, the brunette had never touched.

**"She's got a fine sense of humor when I'm feeling low down  
>And when I come to her when the sun goes down<br>Take away my trouble, take away my grief  
>Take away my heartache, in the night like a thief"<strong>

The sheet that had before been covering them now lay astray, half-way in the sand, the other half still wrapped in Santana's legs. She looked down at Brittany, who gave a soft smile as she semi-nervously bit her lower lip. Santana kissed the inside of the blonde's left thigh, then the right and finally, very slowly, lowered her lips to the center of the woman beneath her.

**"Yes I need her in the daytime  
>Yes I need her in the night<br>Yes I want to throw my arms around her  
>Kiss her hug her kiss her hug her tight"<strong>

Because she had never done this before, Santana wondered whether she was doing anything right at all, but from Brittany's reaction, Santana could only smile. She decided to explore a bit further and slowly slid a finger into the blonde but still paying close attention to the small bud in front of her. Brittany slightly arched her back as she entered a second. "Oh God, Santana."

It was barely a whisper, but the brunette had heard it. She was definitely doing something right. And when she added a third, the Latina was rewarded with the most beautiful sound of pleasure she had ever heard.

Santana was driving Brittany wild. For the first time with someone, she felt all of the fire and passion down there that you are suppose to feel. In all her years alive, she had never felt as good as she did in this moment and she didn't want it to ever end.

**"And when I'm returning from so far away  
>She gives me some sweet lovin' brighten up my day<br>Yes it makes me righteous, yes it makes me feel whole  
>Yes it makes me mellow down in to my soul"<strong>

The blonde entwined her hands within Santana's hair and pulled the brunette up to her. She then realized she was with Santana in the most intimate way she could be with another. "I don't want you to stop..." Brittany almost smiled as she looked down to where Santana's hand still was. "that." A little out of breath, she kissed the brunette. "But I want you up here," She huffed with a ragged breath and kissed her again. "with me."

**"She gives me love, love, love, love, crazy love  
>She gives me love, love, love, love, crazy love…"<strong>

With Santana still on top, they moved in synch with each other, quickly and almost desperately. At this angle, Santana's forearm was close to numb from the movements she had taught herself moments before. But she refused to have her first time with Brittany end prematurely because of it. She curled her fingers to give her arm some relief and in doing so, sent Brittany into a frenzy over the edge.

Brittany's breathing began to come back down to normal and the first thing Santana had wanted to do was ask if it had been okay. It would have ruined the moment, but in the end, she didn't need to - the sweat and smile plastered across the blonde's face had told her all she needed.

Brittany pulled Santana down for a soft kiss and without warning, rolled the both of them over so that she was now on top. Her damp, blonde locks kissed the sides of Santana's cheeks as she hovered over the Latina, catching brown, timid eyes with her own.

"Are you nervous?"

Santana bit down on her lower lip and nodded bashfully.

"Don't be." Brittany smiled.

"I've never done this before." The Latina spoke honestly.

"It's been a long time for me, Santana." This eased the brunette a bit. "And you were perfect." The blonde smiled and kissed her girlfriend with every ounce of love she had before slowly beginning her descent down the tanned body beneath her.

* * *

><p>"Nite guys!" Will and Emma both yelled as they made their way back down the dock and onto their boat.<p>

"I guess we should be getting on to bed too - big day tomorrow!" Finn said.

"Yep, yep. What time should I be here?" Arizona asked.

"When I wake you up - you're staying on my boat tonight." He said matter-of factly.

"But, I ca-"

"Arizona, you're just like your sister - you never wake up on time."

"Okay, you got me there. By the way, did she ever come back?"

"No, but she'll be here." Artie broke in.

"Since when does Brittany wake up on time?"

The two guys replied in unison. "Since Santana."

* * *

><p>Brittany sat in front of the fire with her head resting on Santana's arm, who held her from behind. With a sheet wrapped around them, they looked out into the water. Many of the places they had shared this summer were, right now, just specks of light in the distance. But the one location each had their eyes fixed upon was the marina, right across the water - the place responsible for their meeting and them falling in love.<p>

Brittany looked up to her girlfriend. "I love you, Santana."

The brunette cut her off with a kiss. "I love you more."

"We're a perfect fit." Brittany said with a smile.

"Yes, we are." Santana answered as she tilted her head down to kiss the blonde on the cheek.

"Oh, by the way," Santana pulled a band off of her wrist. "here's your hair thingy back."

**"She gives me love, love, love, love, crazy love  
>She gives me love, love, love, love, crazy love…"<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Song credits:<strong>

**Better Together - Jack Johnson; Temptation - New Order; Crazy Love - Van Morrison**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Thanks again for the review, favorites and follows. No songs in this chapter, but this game is real. You will undertstand when you read. I have broken the Poker Run into two parts and this is the first. Hope you enjoy. :)**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 16<strong>

The next morning, the marina was busy with boaters gassing up for the day's festivities. When he'd taken Brittany's place at work earlier in the week, Finn had completely forgotten about how busy the marina tended to be on this particular Saturday of ever year. Today was the Poker Run.

Finn had just taken care of two customers when three more arrived. He put a few twenties in the cash register in the gas dock and checked his watch. "Damnit." he muttered to himself. After assisting the new patrons in tying up, he grabbed the walkie talkie from his back pocket and called for Artie.

"Abrams, I need you down here on the dock." Without waiting for an answer to come, he tossed the radio on the counter by the register, looked at his watch again and sighed.

Artie showed up five minutes later. "What's up?"

Finn wiped a few strands of sweat from his forehead. "They won't stop coming! We have to be at the Stix in an hour for the Run and I haven't even gassed up MY boat," Finn began to count on his fingers the issues he was having. "Santana and Brittany are on our team and they're not here yet," He looked out into the water to see yet another two boats pulling in. "and we need to leave in like 20 minutes!"

Artie went into the gas store, grabbed a piece of cardboard and a marker, smirking as he scribbled something down. "You take care of those two." he pointed to the boaters waiting for fuel before walking past Finn out of the store. Artie tacked his small, hand-made sign to the ladder closest to the gas pumps and turned around. "I'm going to bring your boat around," he said as he grabbed Finn's boat key from a hook beside the door. "so that is taken care of too."

He started to make his way down the dock towards Finn's boat but quickly turned around. "And by the way, Brittany and Santana got here 'bout an hour ago. They're on B's boat showering," He smirked and said before he turned around, "And…you owe me twenty bucks."

Finn absent-mindedly took money from the last two boaters and looked down at the sign tacked on the ladder that read: 'Closed for the Poker Run.'

* * *

><p>After showering, Santana and Brittany headed towards the gas dock to meet the others for the trip to Breadstix. The morning had found them sleepy, but after taking an early dip in the water and having coffee with Brittany's parents, the two were awake and happily prepared for the long day ahead of them. They walked, hand in hand, down the long dock, past the Dirty Dozen, and to the sunny opening of the gas dock.<p>

"Hey guys."

Puck, Artie and Finn turned around. "Hey Brittany, Santana." The trio quickly greeted the girls.

"You two ready?" Artie asked as he started to untie the boat.

Santana smiled at Brittany before answering. "Of course, though I hope someone's going to fill me in on the rules - I have no idea really what all this Poker Run stuff's about."

The others giggled while Brittany helped Santana onto the boat. "No worries, we'll explain on the way."

* * *

><p>With only about three minutes to spare, Finn's boat arrived at Breadstix, where their fellow friends and participants were already moored out in the water and awaiting the start. Artie and Brittany had filled Santana in on the basics she needed for the Run while Finn concentrated his efforts on getting them to the marina on time and, thanks to the water being calm, they had.<p>

Finn guided his watercraft through the mass of boats that were anchored out right in front of the lengthy dock of the marina. Finally making his way to the middle of the crowd, he turned off the engine as Brittany threw the anchor overboard.

From a few boats over, Arizona had noticed the familiar 1932 Chris Craft pull in. "Hey Mercedes - that girl standing next to Brittany, is that Santana?" she nodded her head toward the pair in the distance.

Mercedes peered over Sue's shoulder to take a quick look off the bow. "Yep, that's her."

Arizona nodded. "She's kinda hot."

Sam turned around. "Kinda hot? That's an understate-" was all her could get out before Mercedes playfully slapped him in the shoulder.

An older man walked up to the small and raggedy podium, which was situated unevenly on the end of the dock. After tapping it a few quick times with the tip of his fingers, he cleared his throat. "Ahem, yes. Welcome to the twenty-seventh annual Lima Point Poker Run!" A roar of clapping and verbal applauding followed from the boaters out in the water.

Santana leaned towards Brittany in an effort to talk over the noise. "Who's that man at the podium?"

The blonde dropped her head down to reply in Santana's ear. "That's Sandy, he owns the bar and marina here." Brittany briefly looked back at the spokesman. "His grandfather started the Poker Run years ago. He's a good guy - half of each team's entry fee for today will be donated to the homeless shelter in town. That's where he works when he is not at the bar." Santana nodded her head with an impressed look as 'Sandy' continued on.

"From what I can see, we seem to have an unusually large number of groups for the Run this year." He smiled as he looked out into the water. "I also see a few unfamiliar faces before me, so I guess it's only fair I go over the basics of this peculiar game before we all get started."

Santana smiled at these words. Because Finn had raced over to ensure they arrived on time, the engines had roared so loud the brunette hadn't heard a thing Brittany or Artie had said along the way.

"The Poker Run is a simple, yet strange, variation on the classic poker game - the five-card draw. I trust that everyone here is somewhat familiar with that pastime. If you aren't," the man chuckled. "then you shouldn't be here."

A small hum of laughter came from the crowd that cluttered the water. "However, the Run is not only a game, but a race as well. So if you came here in any other watercraft other than a speed boat, your chances of winning aren't so hot." The swarm of people in the water silently looked around to see if anyone had been thick enough to show up for this contest in a sailboat.

As Sandy continued his oration, Santana, as well as a few other first-timers, began to grasp the basic concept of the game: Each boat has five occupants and there are five destinations along the river, all of which happen to be either a restaurant or a bar. At each stop, one person gets off of the boat and retrieves a card from that particular location. The last card is obtained at the final stop, which is also where the winners are announced and prizes are given. The team with the best poker hand at the end of the race, wins.

From what Santana had gathered so far, she came to the conclusion that she was about to have a lot of fun. She looked at Brittany and smiled before linking her arm with the blonde's as she listened on.

"Now that we have the basics taken care of, it's time for a few rules." Sandy shifted behind the podium before he continued. "Rule number one: Each boat must have five occupants. No more, no less. Rule number two: Each participant must at least 21 years of age. Rule number three: Life jackets must be worn by all participants until they arrive at the last stop. Rule number four: Each player must collect a card; thus, no participant may go more than once." He carried on with a few smaller specifics that many paid no mind to.

"Now, since we have so many participants this year, we are throwing in a few twists. Instead of using two standard 52-card decks, we will be using three. This way everyone will have a fair shot at a decent hand. Also, and listen up folks, as this next amendment to the contest comes with a few new rules." The casual buzz of chatter among the boats ceased as they gave Sandy their attention.

"This year, and the reason for us having to strictly enforce the age-limit on participants, we have added a bit of a change in the event which should prove somewhat…entertaining. Now, in past Runs, players collected their five cards, went to the final stop, and did their draw. Simple as that."

"This year, however, it will be a little different. As you know, all of this year's pit stops are at the local bars and restaurants in town and across the channel."

Finn's head popped up at the word 'bar'. "Oh, there's drinking involved - we're so gonna win this." He said, whispering to his other teammates.

"You don't necessarily know that Finn."

"Come on, Brittany" her brother said with a laugh. "Why else would EVERY stop this year be at a place that serves 'beverages' he said using his fingers on each hand to quote. The team looked back towards Sandy who had already started again.

"...For example, if the first teammate gets their card and it's say, a two, they may opt to drink a beer for another draw to get a better card. You may do this as many times as you'd like but only until a player from the next team arrives. When they do, you must finish the beer you have and the card you draw after that is the one you must keep for that particular stop."

Sandy continued as the boaters on the water listened on.

"Now because we are including this in the rules and also for safety reasons, I am asking that driver of each boat to complete the anchor leg of the Run. In other words, whoever is behind the wheel should go last. There will be lots of fast boats in the same vicinity and I want everyone to be alert and aware of others. Marine Patrol and judges will be located at each pit stop to make sure these rules are both enforced and followed. Also, for the individuals out there that do not drink, there will non-alcoholic beer available for you."

"Please keep in mind that other than these two new adjustments have been made to the Run this year, everything else remains the same. That is to say your lead is still very important. The first team to arrive at the last stop and pull a card will be allowed to take away any other card from any other team after all boats have arrived and drawn."

Sandy checked over a few papers that accompanied him behind the podium and looked up. "I think that is all. Are there any questions?"

When there were none, he folded up his papers and placed them in the front pocket of his shirt. "Alright," he said as he rested both hands out in front of him on the podium. "There are a few people coming around on jet skis to hand out your assigned boat numbers. Please display these on the right side of your watercraft to the left of your registration numbers. Also, when reporting to your pit stops, please refer to this number as well."

As the numbers were passed out, teams began to pull their life jackets on and choose their anchor man/woman.

"I'll take the anchor leg." Brittany said to the rest of her teammates as she snapped the final buckle on her life jacket in place.

Finn looked to the others in the boat. "No, if we can get a good head start, then I can be anchor and get a good last card. I can drink for days."

Artie and Finn smiled alongside Brittany and Santana. Artie spoke up. "We're all drunkies - it really doesn't matter. But if we do get that lead, Finn will do best going last." After a few more minutes of deliberation, they had settled on Finn taking the final leg.

When all of the numbers had been handed out, the teams looked on for the signal to start. Once again, the older man return to the podium. "Alright, here are your stops this year,"

They began to buckles their vests as Sandy began the list.

"Number one, The Dockside."

Finn turned to his sister. "You writing these down?"

She nodded quickly as she hunched over on the seat, listening on.

"Number two, Lime Point Botel Number three, Seaside Bar & Grill."

"Alright, kids. Let's get ready to do this." Artie mumbled playfully as he slid his sunglasses down to cover his eyes.

"Number four, Pier 3."

They all took their seats as Brittany scribbled the last stop of the run on her list.

"And number five, Captain John's."

Brittany and Santana quickly met eyes and smiled at each other sweetly, remembering their first date. It seemed just like yesterday when Santana had taken the blonde to her favorite restaurant across the waters to Cobb Island. Brittany's favorite restaurant, their final stop for today. Memories would come back, both knew that for sure.

Finn had broken them out of their moment. "You guys ready? We're about to start." Brittany gave her girlfriend a quick kiss on the cheek before making her way to the back of her brother's small speed boat to be at the ready.

"Please remember to tip your bartenders." Sandy said, smiling as he pulled out a flare gun from his pocket. There was a loud roar of engines as drivers started their boats.

"Pull up your anchors."

Brittany, at the back of the boat, pulled fast with Artie helping with the rope. The last words from the man behind the podium were simple and would be followed. "Have fun, be safe, and we'll see you in a few hours at Captain John's." A couple of seconds later, a small bang and flare followed, signaling the start of the race.

The pace boat pulled off to the right just after exiting the no-wake zone and the drivers went full-throttle towards their first pit-stop: Dockside Restaurant. Of the thirty or so boats that surrounded them in the water, Brittany and her fellow team only recognized four others and maybe a possible fifth. Blaine, Kurt, Shannon, and a couple of their friends were just behind them while Will's team, which consisted also of Emma, Jacob, Steph and Quinn, were to their left. Santana gave a wave to Steph as they passed them.

To their right were Sue and her friend Cooter, Sam, Mercedes, and Arizona. Will and Emma's boat had been full, but Sue had offered Arizona spot since they were one short. They were in a small, older boat much similar to the one Finn and the others were riding in. Brittany caught sight of her older sister and offered a wide smile of excitement. The blonde yelled over the engines to her brother. "I didn't know Arizona was in town!"

Finn shouted over his shoulder as he steered. "What?!"

Brittany moved a little closer. "I didn't know Arizona was in town!"

"Oh, yeah! She got in last night!"

The blonde brushed some hair out of her face as she shouted back. "What?!"

"She got in last night!"

Finn and his team were in third or fourth place as they rounded the bend toward the first stop. It was hard to tell who was in the lead really, as all of the boats towards the front of the pack were still kind of jumbled together. Finn pushed the throttle a bit further and gained some extra speed to pass the two larger vessels in front of him. As they pulled in the closest slip at the restaurant's dock, Brittany hopped out quickly to tie up. Finn shut the engine off and quickly looked back. "Puck, you go first. Keep whatever card you pick. Artie, you go with him."

Puck swiftly hopped out and onto the dock with Artie following. "But what if I get a three or some-"?

"Just keep it." Finn said. "We need a good lead."

"Right." Puck said before he turned and ran with Artie down the dock.

Not even a minute later, two more boats arrived, then two more.  
>Santana looked between Brittany and Finn. "This is chaotic!" she directed her eyes on the dozen or so boats making their way towards them.<p>

"Yeah, it gets pretty crazy." Finn said as he looked in the direction of where his teammates had run.

Two slips over, Team Sylvester had docked. Sam, who was apparently retrieving the card for this stop sped up the dock a few seconds later with Mercedes following. Arizona, the fifth occupant of this boat, noticed her brother and sister. She hopped off and ran quickly to their finger pier to say hello. "Brittany!" she yelled excitedly from behind the blonde. Brittany turned around. "Arizona! Hi! When did you get-"

"They're coming!" Finn said, muffling Brittany's question. "Brittany, Santana, untie us." he said.

The two girls hopped off the boat to tend to separate bowlines.

Brittany turned toward her sister. "Arizona, we gotta go. We 'need' a lead." the blonde whispered as she looked at Finn, who was very determined to be leaving the second Artie and Puck set foot on the boat. Brittany threw her line into the boat as Santana did the same.

"By the way, Arizona, Santana. Brittany pointed to her girlfriend as she knelt on the dock, holding the boat close. "Santana, Arizona." The two strangers quickly shook hands and exchanged a couple of 'nice to meet you's before Santana found her seat back on the boat.

Puck and Artie came scampering down the dock and hopped on. "Come on, Brittany!" Finn yelled from behind the wheel. The two sisters hugged briefly before Brittany hopped back in the boat. She looked at her sister as they were pulling out. "I'll see you tonight at the marina, right?" Arizona nodded as Finn backed his boat out of the slip.

They were out first and, because of this, had picked up a small lead on the other boats. It was about a fifteen-minute ride to their next stop. On the way, Finn had taken his eyes off the water in front of him only long enough to turn around to Finn. "What did you pull?!"  
>Finn held up his card proudly, which showed the others a king of hearts. Finn looked behind him to see the furthest boat being about a water mile away. "We're in good shape so far!" He yelled over the engines. "There's a baggie in the glove box over there, Jacob! Stick the card in there so it won't get wet or lost!"<p>

Finn slowed down as he floated into the closest slip along the bank. "Lima Point Botel's bar is on top of that hill over there." He pointed over the group's shoulders to a large, white building about a mile away. "I'm guessing that's what the bikes are for." The others turned around to see a long row of bikes propped up along the edge of the landing.

Artie spoke first. "I'll do this leg - I bike to work when Britts can't pick me up." With agreement from the group, he hopped onto dry land, grabbed the bike closest to him and peddled away toward the restaurant.

Santana and Brittany leaned back in their seats to relax while they waited. "Wow Finn, I can't believe you didn't give Artie **specific** directions for picking his card."

Finn threw his sister a sarcastic smile. "This is his fourth year. He knows what he's doing."

* * *

><p>"How did they get such a big lead in that dinky little boat of Finn's?" Sue asked as he noticed Finn and his team from a distance.<p>

Arizona smirked. "It's small, old, and wooden, but the thing flies. They've never lost a Run in that boat."

Sue rolled her eyes. "I know." She said as she steered out of the channel and towards their second stop.

A few minutes later, Sue was docking in the slip to the left of Finn's boat just as Artie was returning from the restaurant. Artie threw down the bike he had been traveling on as Brittany and Finn untied their lines.

"How are you guys doing so far?" Arizona inquired from the boat next to them.

"Good." Artie replied nonchalantly as he jumped down into the boat. Once seated, he threw his card into the glove box and then tapped the top of the teak. "Let's go."

"Gotta run, sis." Finn said with a quick smile, halfway looking at her, halfway checking behind him to safely back out of the slip.

Santana and Finn gave a wave to the boat as Brittany yelled. "See you later on!"

On the way back towards the channel and to their third stop, Brittany and the others met the dozens of boats that were heading in the direction they had just been. Artie leaned back in his seat and burped. "Had to drink four beers for that card." he nodded towards the glove box as he patted his chest with his fist and belched again.

Finn crouched down a bit to avoid the wind and the water's splashes. "What did you finally pull?" He asked, confident that Artie has done well.

Artie smiled as he retrieved his card from the bag. He flipped it over with a tipsy smile, showing the others a jack of hearts.

They had arrived at Seaside, which was pit stop number, in no time. Brittany had decided to take this leg of the race. She hopped off the boat as they pulled in and Santana quickly followed. The rules of the Poker Run stated that whoever is drawing a card may opt to have another player tag along in their leg for 'support' - Puck and Artie had done this earlier. Brittany knew she was, more than likely, going to have to chug a few beers to get a good card and decided to enforce this rule knowing she'd most likely need Santana to assist her in walking back to the boat once she was done.

The two girls ran along the dock and made a right towards the small restaurant/bar that sat charmingly on the water. Santana opened the door for Brittany, who rushed in and dashed to the bar. "Poker Run, team number three." the blonde said, a bit out of breath.

The bartender, who had been working on a crossword puzzle, looked up and smiled. She grabbed a stack of cards from behind the bar and spread them out in front of the blonde. "Good luck." she said as she motioned for Brittany to pick a card. The blonde picked up the first card her eyes found. She looked at it, squinched up her face, and frowned. Quickly showing a four of spades to Santana, she set the card aside.

"Another draw?" The barkeep asked.

The blonde nodded as she wrapped her left arm around Santana's waist. "Yeah, Miller Lite, please."

"Sure thing." The small girl behind the bar smiled at the two girls before grabbing a beer and placing it on a napkin in front of Brittany. She quickly drank her beer and drew another card. Eight of diamonds - not much better.

Her third draw was considerably dreadful as well - nine of clubs. A few more beers after that, Brittany was getting pretty tipsy and she still didn't have a decent card. The cards she was drawing, well, sucked. The blonde finished her fourth beer and drew another. It had been a four of something, she couldn't remember. All she knew at that point was that a four of anything wouldn't please her brother.

Brittany pushed her fifth empty bottle away from her as she drew another card. "Shit!" she said, showing Santana a queen of spades.

"What - that's good, Brittany!" Santana said excitedly as she kissed the blonde on her cheek.

"No, no." Brittany said. "I need a heart or a king or a jackkkk."

Santana took the card Brittany had been holding, set it aside and looked at the bartender.

One more." She requested.

As the bartender placed another bottle of beer in front in the blonde, Mercedes walked in. "Shit, Santana, they caught up to us."

"It's okay, this is your last beer," Santana said with a smile. "Drink this, pick a good card, and we are out of here."

Brittany nodded and downed her last beer. She looked at Santana before taking a deep breath. The blonde hesitantly drew her last card from the pile and slowly looked at it. A smile spread across Brittany's face. "Yes!"

Without showing the card to anyone but the bartender, who had to record it, Brittany grabbed Santana's hand, kissed her on the cheek, and led her out of the doors of the Seaside Grill. Once outside and down the stairs of the establishment, the two began trotting back to the boat. Santana noticed Brittany walking a bit slower behind her and stopped. "Need help, sweetie?"

Brittany smiled tipsily and burped. "Piggy back ride."

Santana walked back to her girlfriend, placed a soft kiss on her cheek, turned around and squatted in front of her. The blonde hopped on her back. She wrapped her arms around her girlfriend, still clutching the card she had drawn minutes before in her right hand.

Brittany rested on Santana's back as they made their way back to the boat. "Lookie at what I drew." the blonde said as she brought the card around to Santana's eyes.

"Awesome, sweetie." Santana said as she briefly looked at the card, then focusing her eyes back on the path in front of her, cautiously dodging the other players headed in their direction.

Brittany wrapped her arms around the brunette's neck and kissed her on the cheek. "I love you, Santana." she said a bit matter-of-factly. The Latina smiled as she kept trotting towards the boat. "I love you too, Brittany, but damn, you are heavy!"

A sweat-drenched Santana quickly made her way along the dock and back to the boat, hauling Brittany's weight the entire way. When they arrived to their slip, Brittany was the first on the boat, with Santana following suit. "What took so long, Brittany?" Finn asked as Artie and Puck untied then from the pier.

The blonde found a seat in the back of the boat next to Santana. "Six beers." She said as she rested her head on the brunette's shoulders. "Or seven. I dunno, really. But I got a good card!" She said as she pulled a card out of her pocket. "It's a king of something, diamonds maybe? Mercedes showed up and that was the last one I could get. But it's a good one, yeah?" She asked Finn as he maneuvered through the bulky mass of boats that were arriving.

The next stop was at Pier 3, which was about 9 miles across the river. As Finn manned the wheel, the others took some time to relax. They were still in first place and, for the first time since the race had started, Leo didn't seem overly stressed. For the next thirty minutes, the group took in the day and silently enjoyed each other's company. The sun was piercing, but the swift wind and small splashes of water that touched their faces masked the sweltering, humid air.

Artie and Brittany, who were both tipsy from their respective pit-stops, chatted loudly over the almost-deafening hum of the engines. Santana found a place up front with Finn, who talked 'strategy' with her for most of the way. As Santana caught sight of Pier 3 in the distance, she made her way to the back of the small boat and found a seat next to Brittany. "Hey." she said softly as she sat down.

"Hey yourself." The blonde shifted her body sideways and put her legs in Santana's lap after the brunette sat down.

Brittany pulled her sunglasses onto her head. "You're up next, want me to go with you?"

Santana smiled. "Well that's a silly question, love." She pulled the blonde by the hands to a sitting position and kissed her on the cheek. "Come on, we're almost there."

They pulled up to the large dock of Pier 3 and quickly hopped off as Artie tied them up. Both barefoot and still clad in their bikinis and life vests, Santana and Brittany hurried down the long pier and into the restaurant. Santana scampered across the room and up to the bar with the blonde closely and clumbsily following. "Poker Run, team number three." With those words, the bartender retrieved a stack of cards, just as the others had done at their previous stops, and fanned them in front of Santana.

Meanwhile, back at the boat, Artie, Finn, and Puck decided to cool off in the water while waiting for the girls. The trio swam beside the boat and chatted. "So, what are we doing tonight?" Artie asked.

Finn treaded between him and Puck. "Well I think we're doing something for Santana and Steph - ya know for their 'going-away thingy'." Artie nodded as Finn continued. "Will and I talked a bit about it last night after everyone went to bed."

Santana set her third beer aside as she took another card. "I think, at this point, it is safe to say that I am doing worse than you did at that other place."

Brittany scooted her bar stool closer to the brunette and kissed her on the cheek. "No worries. You have plenty of time."

Just as Puck, Artie, and Finn were fresh out of the water and standing on the back platform of the boat when Sue and Co. pulled up. They docked just in front of Finn as Arizona and Mercedes hopped out of their boat quickly as headed towards the restaurant. After tying up, Sue greeted Finn and the others. "Hot day it is."

Finn wrapped a towel around his waist. "Yeah, it is, how ya guys doing out there?"  
>The older woman wiped a few strands of sweat away from her face as he sipped on a bottle of water. "Pretty well, water's calm - getting good cards. How about you?"<p>

"Bout the same." Finn replied as he checked his watch. "How far back are the other boats?"

"Oh, I don't know, about twenty minutes or so away. Figgins and his grandson got pulled over coming into the last stop for speeding in a no-wake zone." Sue chucked. "A few others I didn't recognize got hung up with marine patrol."

"Rotten luck." Finn said.

Sue smiled. "Good for us though, eh?"

"I have to go to the bathroom, Santana. I'll be right back." Brittany said, leaving the brunette alone at the bar next to Arizona and Mercedes. Santana was on her fifth and last beer.

"So…" Arizona started as she threw her card aside and grabbed her beer. "I hear you and my sister have had quite a summer."

Santana smiled. "That we have."

"I've never seen her this happy. I don't know you Santana, but I like you." Arizona said as she downed her beer in a quick chug.

Santana widened her eyes at this. "Never seen anyone drink a beer that fast." She said, taking a few large sips of her own.

"Eh, ten years of Poker Running teaches ya I suppose." Arizona drew another card, set it down and asked for another beer. She turned to Santana as she waited. "Don't leave tomorrow."

Taken aback by her bluntness, the brunette finished the rest of her own drink and drew a card without even looking at it. She clasped her hands together and looked down at the bar where her elbows rested. "I don't want to, but I-"

"Had to wait in line forever!" Brittany said as she threw her arm around her girlfriend.

You ready?" She asked.

Arizona exchanged a look with Santana and nodded, silently saying 'we'll finish this conversation later.'

Santana looked at her card. "Yes, let's go." Brittany entwined a hand with the brunette's as they both said goodbye to Arizona. Hand in hand, the two girls walked a bit tipsily out of the restaurant and back down the dock.

"What was that all about?" Mercedes asked Arizona, who was quickly downing her third beer.

Picking another card, the blonde replied. "Just gonna have a little talk with Santana later on."

"About?"

"Duh, Mercedes." She drew another card before raising her two index fingers to quote. "About 'Brittany' stuff."


End file.
